Epic: A Journey
by Relyan
Summary: ObiWan's son must take on the responsibilities of a Jedi Knight as he struggles with the Empire and the Emperor's evil apprentice, Darth Vader. A continuation of Legacy of a Knight, follows the events of ANH through Jedi. Part One of Three.
1. Chapter One

**Epic**

For those who read.

_Part one: A Journey_

Tatooine. A planet full of sand and little else. It was one of the planets on the Outer Rim, and with good reason; its parched surface and cynical population made the planet vastly unpopular with any sensible being. The twin suns made going outdoors nearly unbearable, and the flagrant criminal nature of a majority of the planet was enough of a deterrent for a half-wit.

Desert. Deserted. That's what Tatooine was; deserted. The only people who lived there were either moisture farmers or a variety of criminals, thugs, assassins, and bounty hunters who wanted nothing more than to be left alone - unless a number of credits were involved. Beings that made a living by collecting moisture from a desert or measured self-worth in terms of how many systems wanted them dead are certainly not easy-going, _normal_ people. Like sand, the desert corrodes everything - including people - given enough time.

It was thoughts like these that made the boy wonder for the hundredth time exactly _why_ he was headed to such an awful place.

He yawned and rested his head against the side of the starship, brushing dark blonde hair from his eyes as he turned to face his mother.

"Mother, tell me again why we are going to Tatooine."

"I have already told you the reason why," she replied without looking at her son.

"Yes, I know, but why did you wait until now to go see this old friend of yours? I didn't have to come; I could have stayed on Alderaan with Haben."

The woman gazed at her son a moment before answering. She could understand his impatience; he was a teenager after all. He was 17, just a few months shy of 18. He was arrogant, cocky, naive and couldn't sit still for a minute. But he was also kind, intelligent, and determined to succeed. In many ways her son was still just a young boy, but she knew that he would soon become a man.

His dark blonde hair was kept somewhat short; short enough so that there was no need to pull it back in a ponytail, but long enough so that he had to constantly brush the hair from his face. He had sharp blue eyes that sparkled with curiosity. Her son was intelligent, but the inquisitive look in his eyes made him seem more so.

In addition to curiosity, her son had a strong gaze that could pierce the soul. She was familiar with that stare; the boy's father had often looked upon her with the same expression.

He was tall enough for his age; at least two or three inches taller than average, and he was in good shape. He loved to run and swim, and the exercise had rewarded his body greatly. Yes, any girl that caught sight of her son would find it a challenge to resist him.

All things considered, the boy was a carbon-copy of his father. The boy had never met his father; he was either dead or something close to it, and he often wondered about the man he was so much alike.

"Although I am sure that your friends would have loved for you to stay, this journey concerns you as well, Jacen." She glanced around the ship to make sure no one was listening before continuing to speak. "It would not have been safe for us on Alderaan after Princess Leia's abduction, and I believe that my friend may be able to help us."

Jacen sighed irritably. "What exactly is this person doing on Tatooine anyway? He's not some kind of criminal, is he?"

"Well, actually he is."

Jacen sat bolt upright in his seat and stared at his mother in shock. She laughed at her son's expression.

"Don't worry, he won't harm us."

Jacen just continued to look at his mother as if she had just turned into a giant spider.

"I can't believe that you are going to a criminal for help!"

"Don't worry, Jacen. Everything will be fine. I won't let anything happen to you."

"It's not me I'm worried about," Jacen returned, thinking that his mother might get hurt somehow. Although he had complete faith in his mother's ability to negotiate, he did not like the idea of her doing so with a criminal. They could never be trusted.

"We will be fine. Now rest; we've got a few more hours before we land."

Jacen kept his gaze on his mother for a bit longer before turning to the viewport. He silently watched the stars go by as streaks of blue as he wondered what his mother was getting them in to.


	2. Chapter Two

Epic: A Journey

They landed at Mos Eisley four hours later, completely exhausted from their trip. Jacen had been struggling to keep his eyes open but as soon as he stepped out of the docking bay they immediately snapped open. He was alert as he and his mother made their way through the space port and into town.

His jaw dropped as he saw all of the activity going on around him. Jacen had grown up in Aldera, the capital of Alderaan, so he was used to the sights and sounds that come with living in a large city, but Mos Eisley was entirely different from the peaceful planet of Alderaan. In Aldera, diplomats and ambassadors could be seen at any time of the day, speaking with other ambassadors and diplomats. In Mos Eisley there was almost an equal abundance of felons as there were politicians in Aldera.

They were all dressed differently, but they shared a sinister look. Their eyes watched everyone and Jacen could tell that these people were constantly calculating their next move. They trusted no one; the numerous weapons placed discreetly and not-so discreetly on their persons a testimony to that. These were hardened killers and con men; they would think nothing of slitting the throats of a middle-aged woman and her teenaged son.

If mom wanted to find a criminal, she came to the right place, Jacen thought as he locked eyes with a particularly sinister looking man. The man gave Jacen a toothless grin while he slowly plucked the dirt between his fingernails out with a very sharp knife.

Instinctively Jacen pulled his mother closer to him. I will not let these creeps lay a hand on my mother.

They walked through the city and stopped for a bit as his mother asked for directions to the friend's house.

"He lives pretty far from here, so we're going to have to get a ride," his mother said as they walked to a nearby garage that sold cheap vehicles in various stages of decomposition.

"We're not going to buy one of those things, are we?" Jacen asked.

"Not unless you plan on walking all the way to my friend's house," his mother replied.

"You mean criminal," Jacen muttered.

He cringed at the sight of the landspeeder his mother bought - it looked as if it a slight breeze would tear it to pieces - and he silently sent a prayer to any listening deity to keep the thing intact until they reached the friend's house.

Jacen helped his mother into the passenger seat and put their meager luggage behind them before getting in the driver's seat. He quickly glanced at the controls of the speeder, attempting to figure how long they had before the power would run low.

Although the vehicle wasn't anything to look at, Jacen was excited about piloting the speeder. He loved to fly, a trait that his mother had been unable to explain, considering that neither she nor his father had been particularly fond of flying.

Jacen's mother noticed his excitement and smiled to herself.

"Ready to go?"

Jacen nodded. "Where are we going, exactly?"

She sighed and raised her hand, pointing away from the city and towards more sand and jutting rock.

"We'll find what we're looking for beyond the Dune Sea."

Without saying anything, Jacen started the speeder and headed in the direction his mother had pointed.


	3. Chapter Three

Epic: A Journey

Jacen sighed to himself miserably. They had been searching for hours, and there wasn't any sign of anyone living nearby. He glanced over at his mother, and saw that sand was in her hair and her face was dirty from airborne sand and other particles. He didn't bother to check to see if he looked just as bad; he knew that he did.

"Over there!" his mother pointed.

Jacen caught a brief glance of a house of some kind before a giant rock blocked it from view. He turned the speeder in the direction of the house and slowed as they approached.

It was a small hut, made in the same style as the buildings he had seen in Mos Eisley. It was low to the ground and was the same color as the sand that surrounded it. The hut sat on top of a small hill that overlooked a valley of desert.

He stopped the speeder in front of the house and was surprised as his mother got out of the vehicle.

"I think this is the place," she said and Jacen frowned at the sudden tremor in her voice.

"Well if it's not, hopefully whoever lives here can tell us where we are," Jacen said, grabbing their luggage from the back seat.

When he turned around, his mother was gone.

"Mother, where are you?" He called, dropping the luggage and heading toward the house.

To his relief, she answered his call. "I'm inside."

"Inside?! Are the owners home?"

"No, but the door wasn't locked, so I just went in." She appeared in the doorway and laughed at the look on her son's face.

"Well come on. Pick up those bags and come in," she commanded, and Jacen slowly complied.

He brought their things inside the hut and quietly took in the meager surroundings. He was surprised with his mother; she usually was reserved and had a high respect for other people's belongings - habits which he assumed she had gotten as an ambassador for Alderaan, but were now being completely forgotten as she examined every inch of the household.

"Mother are you sure that the owners won't mind that we just walked into their house?"

She laughed, not at her son but at her amazement at finally being in the house. "No, I'm sure that he won't mind at all," she said gaily and sat down on a couch.

Jacen stood in the doorway, not sure of how to react to his mother's actions. Finally, he found his voice.

"What do we do now?"

"Now we wait until my friend returns from wherever he has gone."

As it turned out, they didn't have long to wait. Not quite half an hour later voices came from outside and Jacen saw his mother tense as the front door opened.

In stepped a young man about Jacen's age, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. Behind him were two droids and someone Jacen assumed to be the owner of the house and his mother's friend - a man wearing an old robe of some kind, whose hair had turned white from age and constant exposure to the twin suns.

"No, my father didn't fight in the wars. He was a navigator on a spice frei –" the young man who had been speaking stopped when he saw the two people sitting in the house.

"What is it, Luke?" The old man asked, thinking it to be some trick of youth, but his smile faded as his gaze followed the boy's.

The old man looked in his direction, and Jacen suddenly found himself staring into a pair of eyes as blue as his own. The man held his gaze for a second, then turned his attention to Jacen's mother, who was sitting on the couch.

The old man froze when he saw her, shock clearly evident on his face. He blinked a few times to reassure himself of her presence, while Jacen and the boy named Luke watched him, both confused.

Suddenly the old man spoke, his voice filled with emotion and incredulity.

"Katherine?!"


	4. Chapter Four

Epic: A Journey

Jacen sat with Luke as his mother spoke with the old man.

"So who is that?" Jacen asked Luke. "The old man?"

"Him? He's a hermit; my uncle thinks he's crazy. His name is Be- I mean, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Jacen looked confused so Luke elaborated.

"His real name is Obi-Wan, but everyone around here calls him Ben."

Jacen was silent as he digested this new information.

"What about your mom? How does she know Ben? I didn't think he had any friends."

Jacen shook his head. "I have no idea; she's never mentioned him to me before. She just suddenly had to find him."

Holding true to his diplomatic upbringing, Jacen made small talk with his new companion; a habit he had picked up from his mother from the numerous times they had entertained visiting politicians.

Jacen discovered that Luke was only a few months older than he was, and he learned that Luke enjoyed flying as much as he did. He also had a contempt for Tatooine that nearly matched the one Jacen had formed since his arrival on the planet.

Luke told Jacen of his intent to enter the Imperial Academy with his friends, but his uncle wouldn't let him, and Jacen in turn told Luke about Alderaan and his friends there.

"I wish that I could have stayed on Alderaan, but my mother refuses to let me out of her sight. She's not overprotective, she's just worried that I might get into too much trouble, a trait that she says I get from my father."

"Where is your father?" Luke asked.

"I don't know. Dead, I think," Jacen replied. "I never met him."

"I never knew either of my parents," Luke said softly. "But I know that my father was a pilot, and I'm going to be one too - as soon as I can get off this rock."

Jacen smiled. "Really? I can't imagine why anyone would ever want to leave such an inviting place," he said with an exaggerated sweep of his arm, referring to the desert outside.

Luke returned Jacen's grin and was about to say something when Katherine and Obi-Wan walked into the room.

Katherine was smiling, but there was worry in her eyes. Jacen recognized the look; it was one that his mother had before telling someone bad news. Obi-Wan looked haggard, as if someone had just placed a great weight on his shoulders and he wasn't quite used to bearing the burden. He sat down on the couch and looked at Jacen, trembling.

Jacen had a cold feeling rise in the pit of his stomach. "Mom? What is going on?"

Katherine walked across the room to her son and sat down beside him.

"Jacen, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi -"

"I know, and he's a friend of yours. What does that have to do with anything?" Jacen interrupted, anxious to know what was going on.

Katherine sighed and stared into her son's confused and straining face. "He is your father, Jacen."

The entire room was silent. Luke's mouth was open in shock, but he said nothing. Katherine continued to look at her son, trying to figure out how he would react. Obi-Wan did not stir from the couch and kept his eyes on Jacen, watching the boy.

Jacen blinked, and broke the silence. "He's what?"

"Your father," Katherine repeated.

Jacen's mind was whirling. His father? How could that be? His father was dead, had been dead since before he was born. He wanted to deny it, wanted to believe that this was some kind of joke, but the look in his mother's eyes told him she was not lying. That, and a small indescribable voice made him feel the truth of his mother's statement.

Slowly he turned his head to face Obi-Wan, and for the first time found himself staring at an older version of himself. It was like looking into a mirror of the future. They shared the same bright blue eyes, nose and a dozen other features. He was even sure that their hair color matched. The longer he stared, the more Jacen began to wonder what, if any part of him resembled his mother.

Jacen opened his mouth to speak.

"Did you know?" he asked Obi-Wan.

The old man shook his head sadly. "No," he admitted. "Until an hour ago I did not know that you had ever been born."

Jacen turned to his mother. "But I thought you told me my father was dead, and that your 'friend' was some kind of criminal."

Katherine looked at her son with pity. "I did not know if he was dead or not. Considering the circumstances, it was more likely that he was. And I did not lie when I said he was a criminal."

"So my father is a -"

"Jedi," Obi-Wan interrupted. "A jedi, which is worse than a criminal these days."

"What is a jedi?" Luke asked, regaining his voice after Katherine's revelation.

"They were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. Before the dark times, before the Empire. Your father was a jedi, as well. He was the best star pilot in the galaxy, and I hear that you're becoming quite a pilot yourself."

Luke smiled at the compliment.

"Which reminds me, I have something for you...for you both," Obi-Wan said as he looked at his son.

He walked over to an old trunk and took out a small cylinder and unhooked another from his belt. He handed the one from the trunk to Luke.

"You're father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, Luke, but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He thought you would follow old Obi-Wan on some damned fool idealistic crusade, like your father did."

Luke looked at the cylinder and turned it on. A bright blue blade extended from the cylinder and Luke gave it a few test swipes.

Obi-Wan turned to Jacen and kneeled beside him, handing him the cylinder from his belt.

"This is my weapon. I have had it for a very long time, but I believe it will find more use with you, my son."

It was the first time Obi-Wan called Jacen 'son.' Jacen held the weapon tightly in his hand.

"I will take care of it," Jacen promised and looked up at Obi-Wan. "Thank you...father."

Obi-Wan smiled at the boy and watched as he turned on the weapon and experimented with the blue saber.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"It's a lightsaber, a jedi's weapon. It's not as clumsy or random as a blaster - an elegant weapon for a more civilized age."

Luke played with the lightsaber a bit more before remembering something that Obi-Wan had said. He turned off the blade and asked the jedi, "How did my father die?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "A young jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine before he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father, seduced by the dark side of the Force."

"The Force?" Jacen asked, turning off his saber and coming toward his father.

"The Force is what gives a jedi his powers. It is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."

Jacen and Luke were silent as they contemplated this new information. Obi-Wan sat down next to Katherine, who put her arm through his in silent support. She smiled at him and nodded, her way of telling him that he was doing fine as a father. He returned her smile and squeezed her hand, glad to be near her again.


	5. Chapter Five

Epic: A Journey

"Now let's see if we can figure out what you are, my little friend. And where you come from," Obi-Wan said and stood up to turn on a small, dome-shaped droid called R2-D2.

"I saw part of the message he was -" Luke began but was interrupted as a hologram appeared before them.

"I seem to have found it," Obi-Wan commented and sat back down to watch the message.

A young woman appeared in the hologram. Jacen was stunned by her beauty. She was wearing a white robe and her dark hair was pinned to her head in two buns. Her voice was soft, yet commanding, and Jacen found himself staring at her image, entranced.

Katherine smiled at him; he certainly was growing up.

The message began.

"General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."

The woman's image flickered, and then faded from sight.

Jacen was the first to speak. "That was Princess Leia!"

Luke looked at Jacen, surprised. "You know her?"

"Yeah, she and I were kind of friends when we were younger. I haven't seen much of her recently; not since she joined the Senate, at least."

"We are to go to Alderaan, then," Obi-Wan said, "and I will teach you two the ways of the Force."

Jacen and Luke spoke at once.

"We're going back to Alderaan?"

"I'm not going to Alderaan. I'm late enough as it is."

Katherine answered Jacen's question, and Obi-Wan replied to Luke.

"The Empire is planning something, and we need to know what it is. I thought your father could help us."

"We need your help, Luke. The princess needs your help. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

Luke remained determined not to go anywhere with the strange family.

"I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it! But there's nothing I can do about it right now. Besides, my uncle in going to kill me; it's late enough as it is."

"Learn about the Force, Luke. Train together with Jacen."

Luke shook his head. "Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead. You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley or wherever you're going."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, but Katherine interrupted him. "Of course, Luke. If you'll wait a little while, we'll take you home, okay?"

Luke nodded. "All right," he agreed.

They sped along the deserted landscape, heading towards Luke's homestead. Jacen and his mother were in one speeder, following Luke, Obi-Wan and the droids in another.

"Mother, why didn't you tell me about Obi-Wan?" Jacen asked.

"Your father used to be a great Jedi Knight. I knew before you were born that you would have the Force - a dangerous gift in these dark times. If the Empire learned that Obi-Wan had fathered a child, they would have come after you."

"Then why were we on Alderaan when it is so close to the Empire?"

Katherine paused before answering. "My duties kept us there."

Something in the tone of her voice made Jacen think that she wasn't telling him a whole truth. He frowned. "Mother, exactly what were your duties?"

Katherine never got a chance to respond because ahead Luke's speeder had slowed to a stop next to a massive vehicle of some sort. Jacen stopped the speeder and got out.

"Hey, what's going on h-" Jacen stopped as he noticed the smoldering carcasses of desert creatures he recognized from Mos Eisley. He cautiously stepped around the bodies and walked up to Luke and Obi-Wan.

"-troops want to slaughter Jawas?" Jacen heard Luke ask.

He looked around his father's shoulder and saw that the sides of the giant vehicle were covered with blaster marks. He walked forward and lightly fingered the marks. Imperials, he thought. Jacen had seen enough of Imperial marksmanship to know where these blasts came from.

Jacen turned to look back at the Jawas and caught sight of C-3PO, a golden protocol droid that seemed to accompany the R2 unit wherever it went. He gazed at the droids for a moment longer, and then his eyes grew wide as he realized something.

"Luke! You said that your uncle bought these droids, right?"

Luke nodded.

"Well, if the Imperials were looking for them, and traced them here, they may know who they sold them to. Which would lead them -"

"Home!" Luke cried as he put the two together. "I have to get back there!"

"No, Luke it's too dangerous," Obi-Wan yelled as the boy sprinted to his speeder.

"Wait!" Jacen yelled at Luke, grabbing a small blaster from his speeder. "I'm coming with you."

Luke nodded and waited for Jacen to climb in before leaving.

"Jacen, no!" Katherine cried, but it was too late. The two boys were already too far away to be stopped, heading towards the Imperials.

The race to the homestead was tense. Luke was concentrating so hard on getting home and Jacen didn't speak. He had seen the mercy of the Emperor's stormtroopers before, when he was younger.

It had been a public execution of twenty prisoners whom the Empire claimed had been providing information to the Rebellion. The message had been clear: do not oppose the Empire. True, the execution had been on the holonet and had not occurred anywhere near Alderaan, but the bloody images of the prisoners and their terrified screams as they were shot had given him nightmares for weeks.

Jacen's face was grim with remembrance. He hoped Luke's aunt and uncle were all right.

They were not all right. The smoke rising away from the homestead told Jacen that the stormtroopers had been there and were gone. And, judging from what he had heard of stormtroopers, there weren't likely to be any survivors either.

He voiced none of his thoughts as he clung to the small possibility that someone had survived the destruction of the area.

Luke jumped out of the speeder and looked around the burning homestead in a daze. Jacen slowly got out of the speeder and scanned the area, looking for survivors.

Luke suddenly ran forward, having seen something. Jacen followed him, blaster raised - he hadn't thought to mention that he wasn't a good shot - and stifled a gasp as he saw what lay before him.

Two bodies, obviously human, were spread out in front of them. The still-smoking bodies were scarred from the incredible heat of the fire, and were frozen in contorted positions of agony as they reached out to the desert for mercy.

Luke shook with anger beside him, and Jacen knew that the charred skeletons belonged to his aunt and uncle. Jacen was overcome by grief for these people and disgust and hatred for the Empire that had ordered their painful deaths.

Luke was the first to speak, and he struggled to keep his voice under control.

"Help me bury them," he said, his voice trembling with a mixture of sadness and anger.

Jacen nodded in agreement, and the two of them silently made graves for the couple; two more innocent victims murdered by the wrath of the Empire.

Luke didn't speak to Jacen on the way back to the sandcrawler. The excitement and need for rush had left him and had been replaced by a new form of resolution. Jacen could guess what it was, but his thoughts were focused on his parents. He loved his mother deeply, and though he had just met his father they already shared a strong bond. He couldn't imagine life without either of them. The image of the blackened remains of Luke's family came to mind and he shuddered. He understood Luke's anger.

They arrived back at the destroyed sandcrawler rather quickly. The droids and Jacen's parents were busy cremating the dead Jawas, and they looked up as the boys approached.

Luke started to leave the speeder, but Jacen stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Luke, I'm sorry," he said.

Luke looked at Jacen, and then nodded his acceptance of the condolence. He turned and found himself facing Obi-Wan.

"There was nothing you could have done, had you been there. You'd have been killed, too, and the droids would now be in the hands of the Empire."

A gust of wind blew his blonde hair into his face, but Luke didn't seem to notice. "I will come with you to Alderaan," he said quietly, "and become a Jedi, like my father."

Obi-Wan nodded and turned to his son as Luke returned to the speeder. "There is a rashness in you that I cannot explain. You must be more careful. Still," he said, putting his arms around Jacen's shoulders, "I am glad that you are all right."

Jacen only nodded his reply as his mother joined them.

"Come," she said. "It is time for us to find our transport home."


	6. Chapter Six

Epic: A Journey

The streets of Mos Eisley were as busy and disgusting as they had been the day before. Jacen tried his best to ignore the various creatures and villains that were hanging about, but Luke was entranced by it. Jacen supposed that he had never seen so many aliens before, living so far out in the desert.

"This is amazing," Luke said, staring at a pair of what Jacen had decided to call locals - filthy, revolting creatures who were content to dabble in the more base of occupations.

"This is disgusting - a completely wretched hive of scum and villainy," Jacen retorted as the four of them plus the droids headed toward a cantina.

Obi-Wan smiled to himself as Jacen voiced his observation. "We'll see if we can find a pilot in here," he said as he directed them inside. "But watch your step, boys. This place can be a little rough."

Luke's jaw practically hit the floor as they entered the cantina. Jacen looked at him and grinned - if he had thought that the mass of people on the streets was impressive, and then the type of creatures in the cantina must surely be a sight to behold.

The lighting in the building was dark, an enticement for 'locals' to trade, bargain, plan and generally conduct illegal business inside the shadowy bar. A larger variety of creatures sat inside, but it was difficult to tell how many there were; it seemed as if the low lighting served another purpose - to keep unwanted attention away from those who chose to relax in the darker areas of the bar.

One-eyed, hundred-eyed, furry, scaly, slimy creatures were spread throughout the bar, huddle over drinks as an all-alien band played nearby. Obi-Wan and Katherine headed straight to the bar, and Jacen had the sudden impression that this wasn't the first time his parents had been in a place like this. He shrugged, then he and Luke followed the couple as they tried not to show their fear at being so close to so many repulsive scum.

"Wonderful place to find a pilot," Jacen commented to Luke, who was sipping from a drink as he surveyed their surroundings.

"Ben knows what he's doing," Luke returned.

Jacen turned to look for his father and found him speaking to a giant, menacing creature covered entirely in fur. "I sure hope so," Jacen said doubtfully. He turned back around as his mother joined Obi-Wan in bargaining with the furry creature.

Luke was quietly sipping his drink when one of the aliens in the bar, who was obviously drunk, gave the boy a rough shove. Luke looked up from his drink and glanced at the creature briefly before turning back around. A short, dirty human tapped Luke on the back. Luke turned around and the man said,

"He doesn't like you."

Surprised and not knowing how to respond, Luke said, "I'm sorry."

He tried to ignore the human and the two aliens that had suddenly decided to join him, but the man shoved Luke around to face him.

"I don't like you, either." He was about to continue when Jacen interrupted him.

"Hey, just leave him alone."

The man looked over at Jacen, who was sitting next to Luke glaring at the man and his troupe. When he saw that the person who had spoken to him was just a kid, a large grin spread across his face. He nodded to one of his companions, who sauntered over to Jacen.

The man's smile widened as he saw the fear rise in Jacen's eyes. Not one to pass on a golden opportunity, he leaned in close to the boy and grinned, showing blackened and decayed teeth hidden under a mouthful of spit.

"Don't insult us. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence in twelve systems."

Jacen swallowed his fear enough to respond to the disgusting man, putting as much courage behind his voice as he could. "I'll watch myself, then."

"You'll be dead!" The man grabbed Jacen's shoulder roughly, but Obi-Wan's hand on his made the man hesitate.

"This one isn't worth the effort. Come, let me buy you something - "

The attempt to placate him only made the man angrier, and he grabbed Jacen and shoved him roughly across the bar. One of the man's friends grabbed Luke and threw the shocked boy into a nearby table. The other creature pulled out a blaster and leveled it at Obi-Wan.

The bartender panicked. "No blasters! No blasters!"

Obi-Wan moved faster than the eye could see. Quickly and smoothly he turned on his lightsaber and effortlessly blocked the blaster bolt from the creature. With one graceful stroke, Obi-Wan cut off the creature's arm.

Luke stared at the arm on the floor in amazement while Jacen slowly pulled himself from the floor. His hand brushed his saber on his belt, and he looked at his father in surprise. Where -?

Jacen watched as his father deactivated the emerald blade and re-hooked it to his utility belt. Obi-Wan helped Luke up from the remains of the shattered table, and as Jacen slowly fingered his weapon he couldn't help but wonder where his father had gotten another lightsaber.

His thoughts were interrupted as the trio, closely followed by the hairy creature, pulled him aside. Obi-Wan directed Jacen through the cantina to a booth where a young man sat, smiling smugly at the group.

"Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon," the man introduced himself with the signature lazy drawl of smugglers. "This is Chewbacca, my first mate." He pointed to the hairy giant as the four sat down at the table across from Solo.

"Chewie here tells me you're lookin for passage to the Alderaan system."

Obi-Wan nodded. "If it's a fast ship."

Han looked at the old man in disbelief. "Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"

"Should we have?" Katherine interjected.

Han gave her a wide grin. "It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs!"

The entire company looked at Han dumbly. The smuggler leaned in closer and continued.

"I've outrun Imperial starships, not the local bulk-cruisers, mind you. I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now. She's fast enough for you, old man."

Jacen rolled his eyes at the smuggler's boasting. Luke looked entranced.

Han leaned back and gave Luke and Jacen a brief glance. "What's the cargo?"

Obi-Wan smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. "Just myself, the lady, the two boys, a couple of droids. And no questions."

Han smiled. "What is it? Some kind of local trouble?" These four didn't look like they had it in them to get into trouble.

"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements," Obi-Wan replied.

"Well, that's the trick now, isn't it? It's gonna cost you extra." Han paused for dramatic effect. "Twelve thousand. In advance."

Jacen had been listening to the pilot with growing dislike. When he heard Han's high price, he couldn't hold in his objection. "Twelve thousand?! Are you nuts?"

"We could almost buy our own ship for that!" Luke burst.

Han gave the boy a cocky grin. "And who's gonna fly it, kid? You?"

Riled by Han's intended insult, Luke replied haughtily, "You bet I could! I'm not such a bad pilot myself."

"Mother, father we don't have to listen to this. We could -" Jacen began, but was interrupted by his mother.

"We don't have that much with us," Katherine told the pilot.

"We can pay you three thousand now," Obi-Wan began.

"And another seventeen once we land," Katherine finished.

Han sat back to think about it. "Twenty, huh? All right, you got yourselves a ride. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking Bay ninety-four."

"Ninety-four," Katherine repeated, committing the number to memory.

Jacen stared at his parents in disbelief. They were actually going to fly with that haughty braggart? Katherine and Obi-Wan ignored Jacen's shocked face.

Han nodded at Katherine, then turned to Obi-Wan. "Looks like someone is taking an interest in your handiwork."

Luke and Jacen turned around and saw two stormtroopers questioning the cantina bartender, who pointed toward their booth.

"Well, we had better be going. Come on, Jacen, Luke." Obi-Wan got up and herded the boys out the back door.

Katherine smiled at the pilot and the Wookie. "Nice doing business with you two."

Han nodded nonchalantly at her and Chewie growled a reply. With that done, Katherine turned and followed the jedi out of the dangerous cantina.

A few hours later the group was headed toward the docking bay, ready to go. Luke and Jacen had sold their speeders, and Jacen was all too happy to see that decrepit pile of junk go.

"Look at this!" Luke despaired, holding out the money he had gotten from selling his speeder. "This isn't half of what I paid for that speeder. Ever since that new model came out they're just not in demand anymore."

Jacen winced as he thought of the smaller price he had sold his speeder for, though he couldn't help but wonder what events had made things so desperate for someone to actually buy the thing.

"Yeah, well at least we're getting off of this rock," he replied and Luke sourly pocketed his money.

"True," Luke returned thoughtfully. "What's Alderaan like, anyway?"

"Well, it's -"

Jacen silenced himself as they arrived at docking bay ninety-four. Chewbacca was waiting for them outside and he led them through a pair of doors to the ship.

The ship looked like any other Corellian freighter, except that those freighters had been rotting in junkyards for years. It looked as if the only reason this ship was still together was because it had been like that for so long that the ship couldn't imagine looking any different. The ship was dirty and blast marks from previous battles scarred its surface.

Jacen groaned. If this was the outside, he didn't want to imagine what the interior looked like. He spared a glance at his parents and noticed that they didn't seem to mind the ship's ragged exterior. In fact, his father had a bemused smile on his face and his mother was grinning from ear to ear.

Jacen shook his head. His mother had always been a bit strange, but even a child could see that this ship was in serious need of a paint job, among other things.

Han grinned at them from under the ship's belly. "Here she is, the Millennium Falcon." He spread his hands apart dramatically and did a mock bow as he introduced his ship.

"What a piece of junk!" Luke exclaimed. He was just as shocked as Jacen.

Jacen shook his head in disbelief. "This thing won't - can't - fly!"

"All right, all right. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts." Han lovingly gazed at his ship. "Plus, I've made a few...modifications myself."

He turned to the surprised travelers. "Now, we're in a little hurry, so if you'll just get on board we can leave."

He stepped to the side to let the four humans and the two droids pass, then turned his attention back to his ship.

Jacen had been correct. Inside, the ship wasn't as bad as the outside, but it was still nothing to look at. It was also clearly evident that two bachelors lived there. The place was a mess, with tools and whatnot scattered haphazardly in any place that would accommodate them. Jacen wrinkled his nose as he caught whiff of some horrible smell. He saw Luke do the same.

"It seems as if someone needs a few cooking lessons," Katherine commented from behind the boys. She smiled at her son, his expression clearly accusing her of getting him into this mess.

She gently patted his shoulder to reassure him. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

Katherine barely had the words out of her mouth when laser fire was heard from outside the ship. The four of them quickly turned their heads toward the entrance and Han came running up the ramp and into the cockpit, ignoring the amazed stares of his passengers as he flew by.

"Chewie, get us outta here!" He yelled, entering the cockpit and slipping into the pilot's seat.

The Wookie immediately complied with Han's orders and the Millennium Falcon blasted out of the docking bay and into orbit. Obi-Wan got up and headed to the cockpit and Jacen and Luke followed him, eager to know what was going on. Katherine stayed seated; she had seen enough battles in her lifetime and she had no desire to see another.

"- must be hotter than I thought," Jacen heard Han say to Chewie as they entered the cockpit. He briefly wondered what Han was referring to before catching sight of the two Imperial Star Destroyers in the viewport.

Jacen and Luke gaped at the sight, but Obi-Wan didn't seem to be fazed in the least. Jacen couldn't believe it; did nothing frighten his father?

Obi-Wan calmly watched the two destroyers approach as he spoke to Han. "How long until we can make the jump to lightspeed?"

"It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navicomputer -"

Han was interrupted as laser fire from the Star Destroyers began battering the ship.

"I thought you said this thing was fast," Jacen commented dryly. He would actually enjoy seeing the smuggler sweat if it wasn't for his fear of his mother's safety. They had to make it.

Han chose to ignore Jacen's comment. "I know a few maneuvers, we'll loose 'em."

Another burst of laser fire hit the ship and a red light began flashing on the dashboard, almost in protest of Han's overconfident remark.

"What's that?" Luke asked and reached out to point at the light, but Han slapped his hand away.

"It means we're losing the deflector shields. Go strap yourselves in; I'm gonna make the jump to light speed."

The three of them hurried out of the cockpit and back into the ship. Katherine was already strapped in, and Jacen was relieved to see that she hadn't been injured from the rocking of the ship as it was hit by fire from the Star Destroyers. He quickly got ready and prepared himself for the abrupt jump as he felt the hard pull on the ship before it blasted off, leaving the Star Destroyers far behind.


	7. Chapter Seven

Epic: A Journey

AN: I have exams coming up in the next week, so I won't be able to update until the studying, stress and general insanity is over (two weeks, maybe less). Thanks for reading!

Sometime during the trip to Alderaan, Obi-Wan had decided that Jacen and Luke should practice with their lightsabers.

"If you two are going to be Jedi, then you must learn how to handle your weapon," Obi-Wan had said and then had proceeded to explaining the correct way to hold the blade while fighting an opponent.

Now the two apprentices were eagerly practicing with the sabers, swaying their blades back and forth to prevent being stung by a small hovering droid Obi-Wan had supplied for their practice.

Both boys watched the droid warily. Jacen resisted the urge to rub his backside where the little droid had stung him last. He glanced over a Luke, and was pretty sure he was thinking the same.

Suddenly Jacen let out a yelp of pain as another shot struck him. In the brief moment that he had looked at Luke, the droid had seen his distraction and had taken full advantage of it. He rubbed his wrist and glared at the flying droid. Oh, that thing was gonna pay.

His mother and father sat in a corner, watching the boys' progress. They laughed quietly as Jacen got singed yet again. Obi-Wan stood up and went over to his son, though he too stayed away from the droid.

"Let the Force flow, Jacen."

"I'm trying," he said as he blocked another shot from the droid.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "The Force cannot be commanded, Jacen; it simply is. You are both strong in the Force. Open yourselves to it and it will come."

Jacen and Luke nodded at Obi-Wan in understanding and turned their attention back to practicing.

The jedi smiled at the boys and returned to his seat next to Katherine. On his way back, his stomach suddenly clenched tightly in immense pain. Obi-Wan closed his eyes to stop the waves of dizziness that came to him and he leaned on Katherine for support.

She looked at him with a worried expression on her face. He shook his head slightly to indicate that he would be fine and that she shouldn't voice her concern aloud, in case the boys should hear her. Katherine nodded and held on to his hand tightly as he sat down.

Jacen, however, noticed his father's discomfort. He deactivated his saber and came to his father's side.

"Father, what's wrong?"

He saw Obi-Wan glance at his mother briefly before answering.

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force." His voice was weak, as if something were causing him great pain. "It was as if a million voices cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced."

Obi-Wan was silent for a moment and Katherine stared at him in shock, her mind trying to comprehend the meaning behind Obi-Wan's statement.

Obi-Wan shook his head of his thoughts and looked up at his son. "You'd better get back to your practice."

Jacen nodded, but squeezed his father's shoulder in support before leaving. He and Luke activated their sabers and continued their practice. Both were incredibly tense from trying to remember the correct stance, how to block shots, how to keep their fragile connection to the Force, and most importantly, to not get singed.

This time it was Luke who got shot by the droid, and Jacen felt a small relief that it hadn't been him. He didn't like the idea of screwing up in front of a father he hadn't known for nearly 18 years.

"This time try it with this," Obi-Wan said and handed the boys two helmets, each with the blast shield covering their eyes.

Luke was confused. "But with the blast shield down, we can't see."

"How are we supposed to fight blind?" Jacen asked.

"Trust your feelings, and let the Force guide you."

Jacen was beginning to wonder if everything about the Force was as enigmatic as his father's responses, but he put the helmet on and went back to practice with Luke. Gods he hoped he didn't get shot; those little blasts hurt.

Obi-Wan sat with Katherine and watched as their son and Luke warily kept their sabers in time with the movements of the droid.

"Was I ever that stubborn?" Obi-Wan asked Katherine.

"You can't really blame them, Obi-Wan. Until a few hours ago they had never even heard of the jedi. You can hardly expect them to accept everything you tell them right away. And yes," Katherine said, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning her head against his shoulders, "you were always that stubborn. Jacen is definitely your son."

They watched as Luke, and then Jacen successfully blocked two shots from the droid.

"Your son in more ways than one," Katherine murmured to Obi-Wan after witnessing Jacen's blocks.

The old jedi smiled and gripped her hands with his. "See?" He told the grinning boys, "It can be done."

A few hours later the boys had stopped practicing, and Jacen was glad for the break. He was numb from the many shots directed at him by the little droid. Jacen glared at the now silent droid and rubbed his backside. He was beginning to hate that little thing.

Luke and Katherine had left this part of the ship a few minutes before to converse with the pilot and his first mate, and the droids were shutdown, recharging. Jacen and Obi-Wan were completely alone, for now.

Jacen stopped rubbing his backside as he noticed his father's amused gaze. He smiled sheepishly and pushed some dark blonde hair from his face as he sat down next to the old jedi.

He looked up at his father and once again had the eerie feeling that he was gazing into a mirror. His father's blue eyes, wizened by sorrow and age were a stark contrast to Jacen's youth and hope. Yet their gaze was the same, and Jacen couldn't shake the odd feeling that some day his father's kind and sorrowful gaze would be his own.

Jacen shook his head, suddenly ashamed of staring so openly at Obi-Wan. He shuddered with nervousness; he had so many questions to ask him. Who was this man whom he called 'father'? What kind of a person was he? Why had he never met him before? What purpose had called for him to leave his family?

A gentle pressure on his shoulder and a calming whisper brought Jacen from his thoughts.

"What is troubling you, Jacen?" He heard his father ask.

Jacen turned and faced his father. He opened his mouth to speak, but his thoughts suddenly left him and his throat tightened, choking back his questions and leaving him with a single word.

"I...I..." Jacen looked at his father helplessly.

"You have questions," Obi-Wan stated.

Jacen managed to close his mouth and nodded. Obi-Wan sighed in acknowledgement and Jacen noticed for the first time how weary his father looked. The aged jedi sat slumped against the side of the ship, his shoulders sagged forward, and new lines creased his face. Jacen was alarmed by this abrupt appearance.

Obi-Wan moved so that he was facing Jacen. He looked at his son and smiled softly to himself as he saw the concern in the boy's face. The smile quickly disappeared as darker thoughts entered his mind, and he now looked upon his son with regret.

His regret was not just one kind. As he gazed on his son, now almost a man, he realized just how much of this boy's life he had missed. So Obi-Wan regretted many things.

He regretted not loving the boy's mother as she had deserved; he regretted not being there for Jacen's birth or his upbringing; he regretted not being able to see the child grow from a small boy into the man he was about to become. But most of all, he regretted not being able to protect his son from the great danger he was to face in his young life.

The boy had a destiny to fulfill, as did Luke, but the journey would not be easy for either of them.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes to clear his head, and then he opened them and looked expectantly at Jacen.

"Whatever you wish to know I shall do my best to answer."

Jacen slowly nodded his head, then thought for a moment before speaking.

"There are so many questions I want to ask you. You're my father - a part of me, and yet I don't even know you. I want that to change." He paused before continuing. "How did you and mom meet?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "Has she ever told you how we met?"

Jacen nodded. "Yeah, loads of times. But it seems too...cliché to be real. She told me that she lost part of her memory and then you found her and helped her regain her memories on your numerous adventures."

The jedi chuckled. "As unbelievable as it sounds, that's nearly the truth. I found your mother unconscious on Coruscant and I took her to get help. She stayed with me and occasionally accompanied me on my missions for the jedi - jedi were sometimes sent to keep peace around the galaxy - and we became close friends. That friendship turned to love, though it was forbidden, and from that love came you."

"Did you love my mother very much?"

Obi-Wan sighed in recollection. "She was the most beautiful, kind and loyal person I had ever met. It took me a long time to realize that, but when I finally did there was nothing that could have kept me from your mother. I would have given my life for her - and I would still. She is my best friend, my companion, and if the Force would have allowed it, my wife. I love your mother deeply, Jacen."

Obi-Wan thought he knew which question was coming next, and he was correct.

"Then why did you leave her on Alderaan?"

"I had no choice. My duty as a jedi kept me from being with her."

The mention of his 'duty' stirred a memory in Jacen's mind. His mother had said the same before they reached the murdered Jawas. What were his parents hiding?

"Mother mentioned something similar on Tatooine. What was this duty of yours?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Jacen, you have to understand that at the time of your birth the galaxy was in turmoil. The Empire was in its beginnings, and in order to secure the safety of the galaxy, I had to protect the possible means of its downfall. That meant leaving your mother behind, who had a similar duty to perform on Alderaan. I never wanted to leave her, but there wasn't anything I could do to prevent it."

Jacen was confused. Nearly everything his father said had a double meaning; he just couldn't figure out what they were. The part about the Empire confused him. Why would the Empire care about his father?

"Well, why didn't you ever contact mother? She would have told you about me, and - "

"The Empire was searching for me, and still is. If I somehow contacted your mother, the Empire would have located both me and her."

Obi-Wan leaned forward so his face was close to Jacen's. "Listen to me, Jacen. You are safe so long as the Empire does not know of your existence. If they ever learn that you are my son, they will come after you. They will use your abilities and twist you into a servant of evil."

"Like Vader," Jacen whispered breathlessly.

"Yes. Like Vader," Obi-Wan returned and leaned back into the wall.

Jacen was silent as he contemplated this new information. He knew that he could trust his father with anything, and he knew that he spoke the truth. Jacen silently vowed that he would never reveal himself to anyone, lest he become a twisted thing like Vader.

"Anything else?" Obi-Wan asked his son.

"Yes, one more." Jacen leaned over his father and gently unclipped the lightsaber from his father's belt.

"In the cantina, you used this to defend Luke and myself." He lightly fingered the blade, then traced his own. "I thought you gave your lightsaber to me." Jacen looked up at his father. "Where did you get this one?"

Obi-Wan sat silently looking at the blade in his son's hands. He seemed to struggle with himself for a brief moment, and then it was gone. He leaned forward and gently took the saber from his son's hands and held them in his own. A distant look came into his gaze as he answered Jacen's question.

"This once belonged to my old master, Qui-Gon Jinn. He was killed by a dark jedi as I stood by, trapped and unable to do anything but watch. I have kept his lightsaber with me since that day in memory of his courage and bravery." Obi-Wan smiled at his son. "I carry it to honor him."

Jacen watched his father in respectful silence. Obi-Wan seemed to gain confidence as he clutched the dead jedi's weapon, and Jacen watched in awe. This jedi must have been great indeed to be held in such high regard by his father.

The silence between the two grew until a door opened and Katherine walked in to the room. "We're coming up on Alderaan," she said quietly, her voice strained. "And it's not good."


	8. Chapter Eight

Jacen and Obi-Wan followed Katherine to the front of the ship and they were shocked at what they saw.

Millions of rock fragments pummeled the ship and Jacen ducked involuntarily as a particularly large fragment struck the viewport.

"I don't get it," Jacen said. "Where's Alderaan?"

Katherine looked at him, grief evident in her eyes, but she did not answer him.

Jacen saw this and became frightened. "Mom?"

"It's gone. Blown away," Han said, answering the boy for Katherine. She looked very distressed; couldn't the kid see that she didn't want to speak?

Jacen whirled to face the pilot. "What?!" He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"It was destroyed by the Empire," Obi-Wan said, more to himself than anyone else.

Luke spoke up, having gotten over the initial shock of seeing the new debris field. "How can the Empire have that kind of power?"

"It can't. No ship does," Han said.

Jacen sat down in a nearby chair, too stunned to speak. He just stared openmouthed out the window, trying to gather his thoughts.

Alderaan was gone. His home was gone. Everything he had ever known was destroyed. Jacen felt his throat tighten as he thought of his friends and 'uncle' Bail. They were gone. Dead.

Why? He thought. Why had they died? He looked at his mother beside him and knew she was having similar thoughts. He put his arms around her and pulled her close to him in a hug for support.

"It will be all right, mom. Everything will be all right."

Katherine returned his embrace, but she didn't answer him. She glanced up at Obi-Wan, and only Luke caught the somber look they shared.

The sudden appearance of an Imperial spacecraft prevented Luke from asking any questions. The craft, a TIE fighter, shot at the freighter and sped overhead.

"It followed us!" Luke exclaimed.

"No, it's a short-range fighter."

"Then it must have gotten lost; been part of a convoy or something."

"Well, whatever it is it's not gonna get far enough to tell anyone about us," Han replied. "Chewie, jam his systems and follow him."

"He's not worth it; let him go," Obi-Wan said, but Han ignored him and continued to follow the small fighter.

"He's heading toward that small moon," Han said and Obi-Wan interrupted him.

"That's no moon," he said. "That's a spacestation."

"A spacestation?" Luke repeated and Jacen looked up, intrigued by his father's statement.

As the ship got closer to the moon, as Han called it, it became clear that Obi-Wan was correct in his observation. The station was huge, roughly the size of a small moon, which explained Han's belief that it was such. It was gray and lights twinkled from the station, proof that life was on board.

With the destruction of his homeworld Jacen had thought that he couldn't possibly feel any worse. As he gazed at the spacestation, he felt a weight descend to the pit of his stomach and he knew that their situation had drastically deteriorated.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Luke murmured from beside him.

"Yeah," Jacen whispered. "Me too."

Obi-Wan broke the short silence by ordering Han to turn the ship around, but it was no use. The ship shook under the strain of pulling away from the station, but the ship's course had not altered; they were still heading towards it.

"They've got us stuck in the tractor beam; they're pulling us in," Han said. Jacen turned his head sharply at the fear evident in the pilot's voice.

"What do we do?" Katherine asked, speaking for the first time since learning of the destruction of Alderaan.

"We hide," Han said, leaving the cockpit.

Jacen and Luke stared at each other, confused. Jacen shook his head. "Wait - what?"

The compartments Han had hidden them in weren't exactly what Jacen would call roomy, and he reflected on their lack of space as he spit out a mouthful of Wookiee hair. He was pressed tightly against Chewbacca, and every time the Wookiee moved a massive amount of fur would brush against Jacen's face and get in his eyes and mouth despite his attempts to prevent it.

Jacen brushed some fur from his face and glared at Han irritably. "Wonderful place," Jacen whispered sarcastically. "Tell me, did this come with the ship or is it one of your 'upgrades'?"

"You could wait outside if you'd like, kid," Han replied.

Jacen was about to respond, but Han pressed his hand against Jacen's mouth. He motioned with his other hand to be quiet and he slowly removed his hand from the boy's mouth. Han‚ glanced upwards, and Jacen followed his gaze.

Footsteps echoed above their heads and Jacen held his breath as he waited for them to disappear. They waited a while after the last steps faded away before moving. Han removed the gating above him and Jacen breathed a little easier, knowing that they were safe for a little while.

"Were those - ?"

"Stormtroopers? Probably," Han said to Jacen as they got out of the compartments.

"Boy, it's lucky that you have these things," Luke said as he, Katherine and Obi-Wan got out of their compartment next to Han.

"Yeah, I use them for smuggling." He sighed in exasperation. "How're we gonna get outta here? Being trapped in the middle of the Empire's spacestation is not exactly my idea of fun."

"We'll take care of that," Katherine said as she hooked a blaster to her belt.

Han's eyes widened in surprise and Jacen swore that Chewbacca chuckled at his mother's remark.

"You?" Han mocked. "What're you gonna do? Plead with them? Lady, I don't think you know who you're dealin with."

"Don't underestimate this lady. She's a better shot than you think," the jedi intervened. "And like she said, leave the escape to us."

Jacen looked at his parents in surprise. They seemed to be unworried about the more likely outcome of failure of their mission, and a serene confidence brought on by silent acceptance of a mutual fate emanated from their presence.

Jacen didn't know why, but a strange combination of pride and dread rose inside him, and he had a sudden premonition that his time with his parents was growing short.

He pushed the feeling away and silently reprimanded himself. Stupid emotions. He was just jittery about the task ahead, whatever that was.

"What, you too? You're both old fools," Han said.

"Who is more foolish? The fool or the fool that follows him?" Obi-Wan retorted.

The smuggler shook his head and grumbled to himself as he was unable to come up with an appropriate response, and Chewbacca growled in agreement


	9. Chapter Nine

Jacen grinned at Luke from his position near the entryway to the Falcon. Han, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan and Katherine had their weapons raised as they waited for the expected team of scanners to come on the ship. Jacen and Luke were behind everyone else on opposite sides of the doorway. Apparently everyone thought that it would be better if the boys just watched.

As much as he hated to be left out of the action, Jacen couldn't help but grin as a small flutter of excitement ran through him. Luke seemed to be having similar thoughts as he smiled back at Jacen.

Jacen gazed at his parents, something that he caught himself doing quite often now. He didn't know why, but he was unable to get rid of that annoying feeling of dread every time he saw his mother and father together.

As he spared another look at them, another grin flashed across his face. His mother was standing resolutely behind Obi-Wan, concentrating hard on the hatch to the ship and his father stood with his saber in hand - not yet ignited, but ready for use.

This time Jacen's doleful apprehension was diminished a bit as a different emotion took its place - nostalgia. He didn't know why - perhaps it was the easy way that his father held his saber or how comfortable his mother looked standing next to Obi-Wan with a weapon ready in her hand - but he had the distinct impression that his parents had done this before.

There were many things about his parents that he didn't know, and probably would never know, but the thought that they had held up a ship before was so completely ludicrous that he had to grin.

Luke gave him an odd look and Jacen shook his head, indicating that there was nothing to worry about.

"Quiet!" Han hissed through clenched teeth. "Here they come."

Jacen wanted to roll his eyes; didn't the smuggler know that no one had been talking or making any noise at all? Instead he concentrated on the door, like his mother, hoping that this would work.

He managed to note this was probably not the last time he would think that before the scanning crew came into sight.

They were carrying their equipment in a large chest and they were hunched over, so they didn't notice the group hovering beside them until later.

One of the men glanced up and saw Han, who was grinning wildly at him. The man stumbled in shock, which caused the other guy to look up to see what was going on.

"Hello," Han said, pointed his gun at the first guy and fired. There was a loud crash as the chest tumbled to the floor of the ship. The body of the other man joined that of his partner before the chest had settled.

Han nodded quickly to Jacen and Luke, whose job it was to clear the mess caused by the trigger happy smuggler and his huge partner.

The boys grabbed the men's feet and drug them around the corner of the ship, far enough out of the way so as not to interfere with their next task. They came back to their positions behind everyone else and Han nodded to them before turning back to the entrance.

"Hey!" He yelled to the stormtroopers outside. "Could you give us a hand with this?"

They waited for the stormtroopers to come in the ship before surrounding them. The troopers barely had time to blink as the adults raised their weapons and fired at them. The four troopers fell to the ground and Jacen and Luke began to drag them away from the entrance.

Han sighed, satisfied with himself. "Strip em," he ordered.

The two boys stared at him blankly. "What?"

"Well, they're not gonna be needin those uniforms anymore, are they? Now strip them."

Jacen smiled as Han's plan began to become clear. "Come on, Luke. I'll take this one, he looks about my size," Jacen said and started taking off the dead man's uniform.

Han selected a my-size trooper and mimicked Jacen's movements to remove the armor. "Good, kid. Now hurry, we ain't got much time."


	10. Chapter Ten

AN: Please forgive me for taking so long to post this. I was unable to get access to a computer with the Internet over the holidays, and last week was the first back at school. I should be updating more regularly now, if the library's computers hold up. Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoy the following chapters!

The walk from the Falcon to the control room seemed to Jacen to be the longest in his life. But he supposed that was to be expected, considering that at any moment they might be discovered. Jacen held back a despondent sigh. All it would take was a single shot to end this wonderful adventure.

He tried to survey his surroundings without looking too anxious, but he couldn't see much with the stormtrooper's helmet on.

On reflection, he thought that perhaps stormtroopers' lack of vision was the reason that they hadn't been captured, shot and killed yet - with such limited visual perception, the troopers couldn't see anything, especially the towering wookiee and the jedi walking confidently to the control room.

Jacen hoped that luck would stay on their side until they got out of this space station.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as they arrived abruptly at the control room. _Well, here we go_, Jacen thought and braced himself for the attack.

The door to the control room opened and Chewbacca roared at the people inside. The commander who had opened the door stared at Chewie in surprise. Han took advantage of the man's momentary pause and shot him in the chest.

He quickly turned and shot at the other men in the room before they had a chance to pull their weapons out or alert anyone else on the ship. The group piled into the room, Luke in the rear. Luke shut the door as he entered, pulled his helmet off and yelled at Han.

"Are you crazy? Now everyone is gonna know that we're here!"

"Do you have to be so loud?" Jacen shouted at Han.

Han pulled off his helmet and looked surprised at the two boys. "Do you want to be shot? Cuz if you do, you can go first next time."

Jacen opened his mouth to protest, but Han interrupted him. "Look, I did what I had to do."

"And we are fine where we are," Katherine said as she took off her stormtrooper helmet.

"Yeah, for now," Luke muttered.

"We're not going to get anywhere by arguing, so just keep quiet until we can figure something out," Katherine told everyone and began stripping out of her stolen uniform.

Han and the boys nodded complacently and Obi-Wan headed over to the main computer with R2.

"Try to locate the main power source," he instructed the droid.

After a few seconds of searching, R2 locked on to the source and gave Obi-Wan the location. Obi-Wan patted the droid in thanks and went over to Katherine.

"I've got it," he told her and headed to the door. Katherine followed, and Jacen realized just in time what his parents were doing.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"We have to turn off the tractor beam if we want to escape," Katherine said.

Luke came up next to Jacen and looked from Katherine to Obi-Wan. He seemed to sense the same thing as Jacen, and he said to Obi-Wan, "I want to go with you."

Obi-Wan sighed as he tried to find what to say to the boys. "Your destinies lie along a different path from ours," he said, nodding at Katherine. "We must do this together. But remember, the Force will always be with you."

Obi-Wan turned to face his son. "Remember what I told you. Be strong, let the Force guide you, and you will be safe."

"But - "

"Do as your father says, Jacen," Katherine interrupted. She smiled at her son and embraced him tightly. "I love you," she whispered against his ear, quickly kissed his cheek and stood back.

Obi-Wan grasped her hand tightly and gazed at his son one last time before opening the door and leaving with Katherine by his side.

As he watched his parents leave, a familiar feeling of dread rose inside him, and Jacen wondered if he would ever see his parents again.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Jacen sighed irritably to himself. They had been in the control room for far too long a time, but the others, especially Han and Chewbacca, seemed to be content to simply stay here and wait for the Empire to find them.

"But what about the princess?" Luke asked Han. "We have to save her!"

R2, content with browsing through the station's database, had recently informed them that the Empire was planning on executing princess Leia, and Luke was trying to get Han motivated to rescue her.

"Look, kid, that is between the Empire and her, not me. I don't know what she did to get on their bad side, but I am of the opinion that the less we know about it the better our chances are of leaving this place alive," Han said to Luke.

"How can you say that?"

"Real easy. Look," Han said, turning to face Luke, "I know about these things - I deal with em all the time. Trust me, it's best for us if we just stay outta it."

"But they're gonna execute her!" Luke yelled, trying, and not successfully, to get Han to feel a bit of compassion for the girl.

"Better her than me!" The smuggler retorted and turned away from the distraught boy.

Jacen found himself wanting to roll his eyes yet again at the smuggler, but he restrained himself from doing so. He had already tried the pity angle with Han and it hadn't worked. And Han's furry partner didn't seem to be inclined to change the smuggler's opinion, either.

He sighed. At this rate they were going to be caught and killed before his parents had even made it down the hall.

Finally he stood up, an idea coming to him. If emotion wouldn't work on the smuggler's heart, perhaps a more substantial method of persuasion would.

"Han," Jacen said, coming near him, "you know that this princess is rich, don't you?"

"Yeah? And what of it?"

"Well, she has loads of money; I know - I grew up near her." Jacen winked at Luke, who smiled, catching on to his purpose.

"Yeah, if you were to rescue her the reward would be ...." Luke trailed off as he tried to come up with a sum large enough to get Han's attention, but there was no need for him to do so. Han sat a little straighter in his chair and he turned to face the boys.

"Would be what?" He asked.

Jacen smiled; they had him now.

"I don't know...more money than you could imagine!" Luke threw his hands up in the air, trying to visualize the vast amount of credits that a princess could have.

"I can imagine quite a lot, kid," Han retorted.

Jacen couldn't believe the audacity of this man, but he held in his thoughts. They had to leave this place now, and not even Han's sudden determination to be overly cautious was going to keep them here.

"You'll get your reward. Trust me," Jacen said to Han.

"I'd better." Han pointed a threatening finger at Jacen. The boy shrugged. "You will," he promised.

"Good. Now how're we gonna get outta here? We can't just leave the way we came in, unless you wanna join this princess of yours in the execution ring."

Jacen inwardly sighed at Han's comments. This man was really getting on his nerves. To the cause of his increasing annoyance, he simply smiled.

"Well, how do you propose we get to the detention block with that walking hunk of fur?" Jacen said.

"I don't know, that's why I asked," Han replied sarcastically.

Luke however, had found a pair of binders and held them in his hands toward Chewbacca. "Here, I have an idea. Let me put these on you -"

Chewbacca, who didn't entirely trust the two boys, told them as much as he growled at Luke and knocked the binders from the boy's hands. Luke backed away from Chewbacca in shock and slowly picked up the binders, never taking his eyes from the towering Wookiee.

"Han, you - you put them on him," he said handing the older man the binders.

Han's first mate growled low at Luke, but Han calmed him. "Easy Chewie. I think I know what he plans on doing."

Jacen watched the exchange from next to Luke and he smiled to himself as Han struggled with putting the binders on Chewie. A tap on his shoulder made him turn around and he found himself staring at C-3PO, who was, if it was possible, looking extremely nervous.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Do forgive me, sir, but what should R2 and I do while you are gone?"

"Well, keep the communicator on in case we should need you, and -"

"Lock the doors," Luke said from beside Han.

"And hope they don't have blasters." Han grinned at the droid as he put on his stormtrooper helmet and followed Luke out the door.

"Oh dear," Threepio said to himself.

Jacen shrugged an apology to the droid and hurried out the door, putting on his helmet as he caught up to the trio ahead of him.


	12. Chapter Twelve

The trip to the detention block went relatively well. Two stormtroopers had tried to get on the repulsorlift with them, but a few signals from Han informed them that the lift was full and so the troopers moved on to another.

Jacen hoped that their little plan would work. He had no idea how the Imperials in the detention block would take to Chewie's arrival, but he could guess that it wouldn't be pleasant.

The repulsorlift began to slow down and Jacen braced himself for the battle that was about to begin.

The doors opened and the four of them stepped out into the detention block. The officers in the room looked up from their jobs, surprised at the abrupt arrival. Jacen tried to hold back a gulp. Here we go, he thought.

The senior officer in the room slowly got up from his place behind the controls and headed over to the three pseudo stormtroopers. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Prisoner transfer from cell block one-one-three-eight," Luke said. Jacen resisted turning to stare at Luke. That had been some quick thinking, and Jacen was impressed. He only hoped that the Imperials would take the bluff.

The officer that had spoken looked up at Chewie skeptically. "I wasn't informed of it. I'll have to check it out," he said and turned to the controls.

Blast! thought Jacen. It looked like they were going to have to do things the hard way. Great.

Chewie never even gave the officer a chance to make that call. He roared at the officers and threw off his binders.

The officers were stunned for an instant, but Luke, Han and Jacen never missed a beat.

"Look out, he's loose!" Han yelled and threw himself away from his partner.

Luke continued the charade. "He's gonna tear us apart!"

Jacen didn't say anything. Instead he grabbed a nearby officer's blaster and threw it to Chewie, who caught the weapon and began firing at the other officers in the room.

Han pulled out his own blaster and helped Chewie. The officers didn't even have a chance to blink before laser fire shot by either Han or his partner ended their Imperial service permanently.

During the fire fight, Jacen looked up and noticed the security cameras. He winced, then aimed his gun at one of the cameras and blasted it. The camera blew apart and Jacen had to shield himself from the falling shards.

"Luke!" He yelled, "Aim for the cameras!"

Luke looked over at him and nodded, and he and Jacen began shooting at the numerous cameras placed around the tiny room.

The fight didn't last long and soon only Luke, Han, Chewie and Jacen were in the room. The three humans pulled off their helmets while a small alarm beeped on the control consul. Han went to stop the alarm and Luke moved toward the cells. Jacen and Chewie stayed near the door in case more troops followed.

"Luke, the princess is in cell two-one, uh, eight-seven!"

Luke nodded and headed down the block to find the princess. Jacen felt a pang of jealously as Luke went to get her. He knew that Luke had been mesmerized by the princess' image on Tatooine, so he was certain that he would be doubly attracted to her when he saw her in person. A part of him wished that he could play hero to Leia, but another part told him that he would be needed where he was. As he tuned back in to Han's conversation with the control consul, he knew his second feeling had been correct.

"Uh, I'm fine, fine. How are you?"

Han saw Jacen give him a look that clearly said, 'they are never going to believe that,' and he threw his arms out helplessly.

A voice spoke over the communicator on the consul. "We're sending a squad up."

Han nearly panicked. "Uh, negative, negative. We have a reactor leak up here. Very large, very dangerous. Give us a minute to lock down."

This time Jacen didn't restrain himself from rolling his eyes at the smuggler. For all his talk, you'd think he could come up with a better response than that. Han caught Jacen's reaction to his conversation and pointed a finger at him, warning him to keep quiet.

The voice on the speaker lost its friendly edge. "Who is this? What is your number?"

This time Han didn't wait to think of a response. He took his borrowed blaster and shot the consul, effectively ending his discourse with the unhappy officer.

"Boring conversation anyway. Luke, we're gonna have company!" Han yelled down to Luke, who was still searching for the princess' cell.

"Great job, Han. Wonderful. Couldn't have done better myself," Jacen said after Han had destroyed the consul.

"Quiet, junior. I don't have time for your considerations right now."

Han moved closer to the entrance to the cell block and motioned for Chewbacca to do the same. He saw that Jacen hadn't moved from his position, so he yelled at him.

"Kid, any minute now stormtroopers are gonna come blasting through that door. Unless you want to be shot I suggest that you get behind me!"

Jacen's eyes widened at the urgency in Han's voice and he hurried to get beside Chewie. As Jacen was moving, Han yelled over his shoulder at Luke. "Hey! Have you found that princess yet?"

Before the words were out of his mouth, the door burst open and stormtroopers began firing randomly into the room. Han shut his mouth and concentrated on the emerging troopers, Jacen and Chewie shot at others from behind him, and Luke stopped short in the hallway with the princess in tow.

"What is going on?" Leia demanded as she caught sight of the shooting.

"We thought you might be getting a little lonely, so we brought some old friends to cheer you up," Han answered as he, Chewie and Jacen ran down the cell block to avoid the laser fire.

Leia's eyes widened as she saw Jacen. "Jacen? Is that you?"

"Hi, Leia." He smiled at her weakly. "How's it going?"

"Hey, could you two postpone the reunion until later?" Han yelled at them. "We could use a little help here."

Jacen turned his attention back to the fight, but secretly he was glad that Leia had remembered him. He avoided Luke's gaze, as he was sure that he was now shooting him jealous looks.

Leia pressed herself against the wall in order to avoid a passing laser bolt. "When you got in here, didn't you have a plan for getting out?" she demanded.

"He's the brains, sweetheart," Han said, nodding to Luke.

Leia looked at Luke expectantly, but all he could do was stutter an excuse. The princess had no time to listen. She simple took Luke's weapon, fired at a couple of troopers and blasted a hole into the side of the cell block.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Han demanded as Jacen and Chewie continued to keep the shots off them.

"Someone has to save our skins," she replied, tossing the weapon back to Luke. "Into the garbage chute, flyboy!" And she disappeared into the hole.

They stared at each other for a moment before Jacen yelled, "Luke, go!"

Luke nodded once before jumping into the hole. Jacen fired one more shot at the troops before heading over to the hole. He took a deep breath, not sure of what to expect when he landed, then threw himself inside.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Jacen groaned as he landed face-first in a pile of garbage. He quickly got up and moved out of the way, aware that either Han or Chewie would soon be following him. Jacen stood up straight and made a face as he got a clear look of the place that they were now in.

The room was small, filled completely with foul-smelling garbage that was marinating in a liquid made up of what Jacen didn't want to know. If he had been expecting anything, this certainly wasn't it.

Luke was near the door, searching for a lock of some kind so that they might get out.

"Well?" Leia asked. She was standing near him, obviously hoping that there was a way out of the giant trash can.

Luke shook his head despondently. "Nope. There's no lock, there isn't anything."

"I guess they figured that no one would ever be inside one of these things," Jacen said to the two from across the room as he scanned the area for any indication of an opening.

He couldn't see anything, and he shuddered to think that there might be some escape hidden under the water. Well, if there was they could safely discount that way.

Jacen turned around as a loud roar informed him of Chewie's arrival. The Wookiee stood up, put one foot in the murky water and growled to himself. He did not look happy as he sloshed around the garbage, and Jacen realized that the Wookiee could feel things with his bare feet that they could not. He felt sorry for Chewie, and for the first time he actually was glad that he was wearing a stormtrooper's uniform; he felt nothing but the floor in the boots.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" Luke said. "Everyone get back from the door; I'm gonna blast it."

Leia quickly moved out of the way as Luke brought up his weapon. He took careful aim where he thought the lock might be on the other side of the door, and he fired.

Instead of going through the door like it was supposed to, the bolt reflected off the metal surface and shot around the room, changing direction as it hit the walls of the room.

Jacen and the others ducked as the bolt flew around the room. Luke nearly dropped flat as the bolt whizzed over his head, and Leia had to jump out of its way as it came toward her. Finally the bolt stopped its wild flight as it hit a large piece of trash.

Jacen and the others cautiously lifted their heads and stood up. After a brief check to make sure that he wasn't maimed or otherwise injured, Jacen turned to stare at Luke. He saw Leia and Chewie do the same. Luke noticed the accusing stares he was getting and smiled sheepishly.

"I guess it's magnetically sealed," he said.

Jacen, Leia and Chewie continued to stare at him as if they hadn't heard him - silently accusing him of nearly killing all of them.

A wild yell from above diverted their attention from the boy, and Han dropped in on a pile of trash, cursing and yelling on his way down.

Han stumbled as he got up, took a brief look around and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "What an incredible smell you've discovered, your highness," he said sarcastically to Leia. She shook her head in return and ignored him.

Han turned around and saw Chewie near the door, pounding on it and generally making a lot of noise. He raised his blaster and told his partner to get away from the door.

"No -!"

"Don't -!"

Jacen and Luke tried to stop Han from firing, but the smuggler did so anyway and again the "blast shot around the room in a crazy attempt to hit something.

If it wasn't for the immense amount of danger that they were in, Jacen would have enjoyed seeing Han jump and duck to avoid the shot. He grinned to himself, and then dropped flat as the shot flew past his head.

The shot finally hit something and ceased to be a danger to the group. The yelling began.

"Are you crazy? We could have been killed!"

"I already tried that!"

"Put that thing away before you get us all killed!"

Han stared at the princess and the two boys in shock.

"Well, excuse me. You know, if it hadn't been for you we wouldn't be in such a wonderful place!"

"Oh, and what would you have done? Shoot all of the troopers by yourself?" Leia retorted.

Han started indignantly, "I could have -"

Jacen cut him off. "Hey! It isn't gonna take them long to figure out where we are."

Han and Leia dropped the battle of the wills and turned toward Jacen.

"Any ideas?" Han asked an evil glint in his eyes. "We're wide open here."

Jacen hesitated. Han knew full well that he didn't have any clue as how to get out of the trash compactor. He was trying to make him look dumb in front of Leia. As he was about to ask for help, an idea came to him and he turned to Luke, who was staring at the princess.

"Luke, do you still have the comlink?"

The boy looked at Jacen for a few seconds, confused as he came out of his reverie. "Huh? Oh, yeah!" He reached into his utility belt and got it out.

Luke looked at Jacen. "Why?"

"Call Threepio. He and R2 can open the door and we can get out," Jacen said, feeling proud of himself.

"Oh, right! I had forgotten about them," Luke said and flipped the comlink on. "Hey Threepio! Do you hear me?" He paused for a few seconds, and then frowned as he received no answer. "Threep - ?"

Luke's sentence was cut short as he violently fell backwards into the murky water. At first Jacen thought that he had simply slipped, but as the seconds passed and Luke failed to resurface, he began to think otherwise.

The others were doing the same.

"What the hell was that?"

"Luke!" Leia yelled. "Luke!"

Jacen began frantically searching the lower levels of debris with his hands, hoping to latch on to something that felt Luke-like, but his hands simply passed through the water, grazing nothing but old mechanical parts.

Just as suddenly as he had disappeared into the water, Luke broke the surface, gasping for air.

For half a second Jacen felt relief, then he saw that some kind of creature had wrapped itself around Luke's body. Jacen couldn't see any discerning features of the creature; only what Jacen hoped was its body was visible. It was a sickly combination of brown and green, with giant globs of nearly solidified liquid slowly dripping off of the creature.

Jacen had a sudden recollection of running into something similar as a young teenager during a trip to Vodran. He hoped that this thing wasn't what he thought it was - a dianoga.

Dianogas had only one eye that was on a stalk in order to seek out prey. They would wrap their 'arms' around a victim and bring it to its mouth, which had rather large and painful-looking teeth. At that point it was a short trip from being a panic-stricken entity to becoming lunch.

Luke was clearly struggling with the thing as it tried to drag him back under the water, determined not to become the dianoga's next snack.

"Shoot it!" Jacen yelled at Han while he raised his own blaster.

"What? Where?" Han replied, not sure of where to hit the thing.

Jacen had no time to compensate for Han's slow response. He aimed his blaster at the dianoga's 'arm', making sure that he wouldn't hit Luke, and fired.

The shot hit the creature and it loosened its hold on Luke enough for the boy to stand up, but as soon as the dianoga sensed that its prey was escaping it latched on to Luke and drug him back under the surface.

"No, Luke!" Jacen yelled, lowering his blaster. Darn it all, why hadn't he thought to shoot again?

Han searched the water uncertainly, weapon raised in preparation for the return of the creature, but it was to go unneeded.

Nothing marred the surface of the water to indicate a struggle. No bubbles, no ripples and no sounds came. Everything was silent.

Jacen couldn't believe it. He had just befriended Luke, and he had the Force, like he did. Beside his father, Luke was the only other person in the galaxy that shared this gift. They were unique, but together they formed a fellowship.

No, Luke just couldn't be dead.

He looked up at the others and found Leia staring into the water, a hopeless look on her face. Han still had his blaster ready, but it was obvious that he didn't seem to think that he would need it. Chewie stood by the door, silent in his own reflections.

A loud screeching noise caught their attention, and seconds after it had sounded Luke suddenly appeared from the water, choking as he spit trash water from his mouth.

Han was nearest to where he had surfaced and caught Luke in support.

"What happened?" Leia asked Luke.

Luke coughed, and then replied to her. "I don't know. It just let go of me."

Jacen furrowed his brow in confusion. The dianoga just let go? Why? Luke was easy prey - why had it decided to let him live?

The sound of lurching mechanisms behind the walls around them answered his unspoken thoughts as the walls began to close in on them.

"Great," Jacen heard Han mutter to himself.

Great, indeed. Now what were they going to do?

"Grab something to stop the walls!" Leia yelled at the men as she struggled with a large piece of piping.

Though he knew that propping the walls wouldn't do them any good, Jacen went through the motions of placing the piping up as his mind frantically searched for another option.

He found one.

"Luke! Call Threepio, like before! Tell him to shut this thing down!"

Luke's hand went automatically to his belt where he kept the comlink, but he found nothing. He looked confused for a moment, and then his face slipped into a combination of fear and dread.

"I don't have it," he said.

"What do you mean, 'you don't have it'?" Jacen demanded.

"I lost it in the water when that thing grabbed me," Luke said helplessly.

"The water?"

Luke nodded.

_Perfect_, Jacen thought.

"Well, look for it before we're squashed!" He said and dropped to the ground and began searching for the missing comlink.

Luke joined him and they searched the murky water together.

"You don't think that thing will come back, do you?" Luke asked Jacen.

"No, but to tell you the truth I'd rather face that than be pressed between two walls," Jacen replied as they continued swiping their hands through the water.

"Hey, why don't you two get off your knees and help us out over here?" Han yelled at the two boys.

"We're kinda busy," Jacen yelled back.

He paused in his searching as Luke pulled something excitedly from the water. They looked at the small object briefly, but it wasn't what they were looking for. Disappointed, Luke threw the piece of metal over his shoulder and continued searching in the water.

"Yeah, and so am I. Come on! Do you wanna be smashed?"

Jacen sat back on his heels, exasperated with the smuggler. "Look, we're trying to find Luke's comlink so we can get out of here. You may help us if you'd like."

"You dropped the comlink?"

Jacen didn't bother to tell Han that he hadn't been the one to drop it. Instead he turned to the princess and explained the situation.

"If we don't find the comlink soon, nothing we do is going to get us out of here."

Leia nodded in understanding and walked over next to the boys. She dropped to her knees and began searching for the link. Han shook his head in bewilderment at Chewie, and then also started to sift through the trash in an attempt to locate their tiny lifeline.

They hadn't been searching long when Jacen noticed that it was becoming increasingly difficult to go through the trash. The walls of the compactor were pressing the pieces together, and he realized that they had to move higher or risk being stuck between the merging trashes.

He glanced to his right and saw Leia grimace as a large piece of metal slowly grinded into her legs.

He quickly reasoned that two of them could climb the rising mountain of trash and keep a watch over the other two as they continued to work. If it appeared that they would get stuck, the two above could pull them out before their position became permanent. Jacen made his decision rather quickly.

"Leia, I want you to get on top of this stuff," he said, nodding to the trash around them.

Leia looked surprised. "But what about -"

"Don't worry about that. We need to get you up."

She paused, and then nodded. Jacen inwardly sighed in relief.

"Okay. Han, go with her."

Leia froze at Jacen's words while Han stopped his work to grin at the boy.

"You'll need help," Jacen said to Leia. "And we'll need you both if we get stuck," he said to them.

Leia didn't argue; she began climbing the trash and Han went after her. Jacen turned his head toward Luke, who was staring at him in surprise. Jacen sent him a look that said 'you lost it, you find it.'

Luke seemed to understand his meaning and went back to searching for the comlink.

By now they were no longer looking through the water. The walls had pushed the trash far in enough that they had to throw pieces out of their way as they looked frantically through the mass.

Jacen's hands felt through the pile around him, but he couldn't find anything. He grabbed on to something that he thought might be the comlink, but cried out in pain as metal pushed against his midsection as the trash tightened around his body.

In a few more minutes Jacen knew that they weren't going to be able to move. He swallowed his pain as best he could and kept searching, holding back a cry every time some new piece drove in to him.

The pain began to be unbearable. Parts of trash were pressing in to his body with a force he hadn't thought existed. Jacen's entire body screamed in agony - he was sure that he was going to be cut in half. He was vaguely aware of Han and Leia's voices above him and he closed his eyes in a futile effort to release his suffering.

Jacen tried to concentrate, tried to find his center like his father had taught him, but all he heard were the crunching of metal as it continued its assault of his body, the slow breaking of his bones, and the screams of his companions.

The noise rose into a roar so loud that Jacen was sure his head would explode. He gasped desperately as his windpipe began to be crushed, and he weakly grasped at the trash around him. His head began to spin and images whirled before his eyes in a freakish dance of death.

He gasped for breath once more, choked on the stale air - and everything instantly became still.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

: I apologize in advance for the brevity of this chapter, but it was necessary to connect the previous and following chapters.

Jacen slowly realized that the grinding of the walls had ceased. He opened his eyes and looked around him. Nothing was moving - the trash was frozen in its final position - and he became aware that his body was no longer in the great pain that it had been.

_What the - ? _

Jacen didn't understand what had happened. He was about to be crushed by tons of Imperial garbage - what made it stop?

He turned to his left and immediately smiled.

Luke was making his way from the trash, and in his hand was the comlink. Luke saw Jacen's gaze and paused in his movements to address him.

"I found it," Luke said and broke in to a mad grin.

Jacen mirrored his smile. So that was why everything had suddenly gone silent!

Luke freed himself of the trash and helped Jacen out. They headed over to the open compactor door, where Han, Leia and Chewie were already waiting.

"For a moment there we thought you were a goner, kid," Han said to Jacen.

"I thought we all were," he replied, smiling.

"Well, we had better get moving. We don't want to get caught after that lovely detour," Leia said to them. Chewie growled in agreement.

They stopped briefly to change out of their stormtrooper uniforms; the smell alone would be an obvious indication as to where they had been, though Jacen didn't see how running around a giant space station in such distinctly conspicuous clothes would help them.

"Come on," Leia said when they had finished dressing. "Let's get to that ship of yours."

They walked down various hallways, hoping that they were getting closer to the Falcon. Han was leading their little party and Jacen wasn't so sure if that was a good idea. So far every idea the smuggler had hadn't ended well for them.

"Look, I think the ship is up here," Han said and sprinted some feet in front of them to see if he was correct.

Instead of a whoop of joy Jacen heard a surprised 'oh!' followed shortly by a growl from Chewie.

"What the - ?"

Jacen, Luke and Leia hurried to see the cause of the duo's outbursts and were met by half a dozen stormtroopers.

To his right Jacen could see Han chasing more troopers down the hall, screaming at the top of his lungs. If he didn't have six blasters pointed at him he would have laughed.

"Hey, you!" One of the troopers said. "Hands up! You are under arrest by the Galactic Empire!"

"Well, now what?" Jacen muttered to Luke.

Luke glanced at him and shrugged. "Well, um, run!"

Luke and Leia took off faster than Jacen would have thought possible and he echoed their movements by running wildly down a different corridor. He could hear some of the troopers behind him and he put on an extra burst of speed as he avoided the trooper's laser fire.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Jacen was out of breath as he rounded another corner. He listened closely for the sound of footsteps or shouts of the troopers behind him, but he didn't hear anything. He sighed to himself and slowed down as relief overtook him.

For the moment he was safe, and he took the opportunity to rest for a while. His breathing was ragged to his ears as he tried to catch his breath from the long run down the halls. Running in to those troopers had certainly been a surprise, but at least he hadn't been caught.

Jacen laughed silently to himself as he reflected on his wild sprint through the corridors. After accidentally running into a party of stormtroopers he had run down various hallways on the ship, turning at random. At the time he had been simply trying to get away from his pursuers, but now that he thought of it his sudden twists and turns must have confused the troopers into giving up the chase.

Deciding that he had rested enough in one spot, Jacen straightened up and began walking cautiously down the hallway, frowning as he did so.

The further down he walked, the deeper his frown became. Before he had had some idea of where the ship was; now he was completely lost.

_Perhaps running like that wasn't such a good idea after all_, Jacen thought to himself as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.

Jacen wanted to cry out in frustration - every hallway he had walked down looked the same! How was anyone supposed to know where they were, or where to go for that matter? For all he knew, he could be walking deeper into the station.

Jacen sighed to himself and stopped walking. On the trip to Alderaan Obi-Wan had taught Jacen and Luke a little bit about recognizing Force signatures. Jacen had thought it a bit odd to need to know how to pick out individual using the Force, but Obi-Wan had insisted that the boys learn how to do it.

Well, if ever there was a time that he needed that knowledge, it was now. Jacen thought that by searching out his father's presence he could get an idea of their general location on the ship, and hopefully that of the _Falcon_.

Jacen closed his eyes and gradually slowed his breathing. It took him a while, but he finally found his center, the place that according to his father could never be penetrated by anyone unless he wished it. It was his place of happiness, of serenity, the place where he simply was.

His father called it being 'one with the Force.' Jacen called it bliss.

He struggled with keeping his connection to the Force - he still was unsure of what he was doing - but he managed to sustain it. Smiling inwardly, Jacen slowly reached out with the Force.

All at once he felt hundreds of lifeforms' presences. Jacen was overwhelmed by this many beings, and he audibly gasped. On the ship it had just been himself and five others. Here he suddenly felt tiny compared to the sheer number of living things around him.

He steadied his breathing again and began searching the ship for his father.

He touched many beings, most of them stormtroopers or Imperial officers. The minds he touched were numerous, but to Jacen they felt the same. None of them possessed the gift that he was now using, he was sure of that, and it made him feel a bit lonely though he knew that there were others like him.

For the first time Jacen realized just how rare and precious his gift was.

He continued searching for his father. Jacen thought that a full jedi would be able to find a single person almost instantly, and he realized that he had a long way to go before he got to that level.

He furrowed his brow further as he intensified his search. He felt the same echo of militarized compliance as he touched more troopers, but then his mind touched something different.

Jacen frowned and probed further into this interesting individual. What he found made him gasp.

At once he felt his body go cold though the hallway he was in was warm. Jacen shivered and his mind convulsed with the dark images he was receiving. He thought that he would choke. Then he felt a new sensation: the mind was reaching back to him.

It was faint, but Jacen could tell that this person was attempting to probe his mind as well. Jacen knew instinctively that this shouldn't happen, but he found it difficult to break the connection. Something was making him stay open to this new entity. Jacen could feel it, a cold breeze surrounding him, and he knew that if he did not break the connection soon he would be found out.

Jacen tightened his eyes and concentrated as hard as he could. As he did so he could feel the dark presence coming ever closer to him like a Nexu stalking its prey.

Seconds before the other mind found his Jacen pulled himself from the connection. Immediately the temperature returned to normal and the horrific images faded from his head.

Jacen took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing to find his father. He located him fairly quickly, and there were no horrors to meet the young jedi this time.

As he found his father's presence, Jacen's mind was flooded with warmth and love. He and his mother were all right, and had been successful in their mission. The boy smiled to himself as he got an idea of his location. His father was great indeed.

Some seconds later Jacen shook himself from his trance and headed down the hallway, now confident in his direction. Only one thing worried him, and that was his mental encounter with the strange entity.

The person possessed great control of the Force, but it was of a nature that Jacen was not familiar with. It had definitely been evil, and he decided that it must have been one of the dark jedi that his father had been telling him about. If that was the case...

_Vader..._

Jacen shook his head in anger. He knew that he shouldn't have let his mind linger on such a thing, but the discovery had been intriguing. For some reason he just hadn't wanted to leave. Something had told him not to break the connection, and if it hadn't been for his father's teachings, he wouldn't have.

Who knew what the consequences would have been? Jacen shuddered at the thought and stopped as he came to a division in one of the hallways. Both looked the same, but Jacen knew that he needed to take one to get back to the ship.

He concentrated for a moment before using the Force to determine the correct path. His breathing became ragged as he focused.

_I must be more tired than I thought. _

The Force told him which hallway to travel, but instead of heading towards it, Jacen hesitated. He frowned in confusion. Something wasn't right.

He listened intently for approaching footsteps but he heard nothing other than his own breathing, now coming in short, labored breaths.

Jacen's eyes widened as he realized that it wasn't his breathing he was listening to.

_Who - ?_

If possible, Jacen's eyes widened even further as the object of his thoughts came in to view. Standing at close to seven feet and dressed entirely in black, the Dark Lord of the Sith walked from Jacen's chosen hall and stood before the boy.

Jacen had seen Darth Vader before as a small child on Alderaan, and if the man had been intimidating when Jacen was three he was even more so as he stood before him now. The lights on the Dark Lord's armor blinked silently at Jacen and his ebony cape pooled at the giant's feet. Lord Vader's breathing remained even as he surveyed the boy through his mask, and Jacen found that he could not take his eyes off the sith's.

Jacen had heard tales of men who had stood before Lord Vader and not lived, and he knew that using his saber - or any defense - would not end in his favor. As the Dark Lord watched him, Jacen's mind frantically searched for any escape but he could see and think of none.

He swallowed what fear he felt; he would have to face Vader as he was.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

: The end of part one is near, finally! If my week is productive, I should have this part completed and ready for you to read! Cross your fingers everyone!

The Dark Lord spoke first.

"You are not Kenobi."

Jacen was confused. Kenobi? Why would Vader think that he was Obi-Wan? He knew that they looked alike, but his father was years older than he was.

Vader continued.

"Who are you, child?"

Jacen refused to answer, content to let Vader's mechanical breathing be the only sound between them.

Noting the boy's reluctance to speak, the Dark Lord moved closer to him. Unconsciously to Jacen, his posture immediately became defensive. Vader continued toward the boy as if he hadn't noticed the change.

"What is your name, boy?"

Jacen had been concentrating so hard on Vader's face that he nearly missed the Dark Lord's almost casual wave of his hand. A breeze, barely discernible, went past Jacen and instantly his hands went to his lightsaber. Jacen felt an invisible tug at his weapon, but he clutched it tightly in his hands.

"A child such as you should have no need of this weapon," Vader said to Jacen.

"It belongs to me!"

Jacen couldn't believe that he was being defiant to Darth Vader, but this was his father's lightsaber and there wasn't any way Vader was going to get it, even if he had to fight for it.

"It belongs in the hands of one properly trained in the art of using such a weapon, not a mere boy."

Jacen clenched his teeth to keep back his anger. He knew that Vader was trying to goad him in to making some mistake, but whether by physical or verbal action he was not sure. And so he remained silent.

Jacen was preparing himself for another verbal onslaught by Vader when an intense pressure on his head caught him off guard. He stumbled backward in surprise, and then straightened as he recognized the sensation.

It was similar to when he had tried to locate his father earlier, except where his mind was weak and timid due to inexperience, this mind was powerful and plunged into his without hesitation.

Jacen didn't know what was happening - images and feelings of his past were coming unbidden to his mind - but he knew that Vader was the cause of it. He saw memories, old and new, forgotten and cherished as they flew through his head.

Most were of his mother. He saw his earliest memory of her, when she had kissed and dried his tears after he had tripped over his shoes when he was not quite two; his mother taking him to school; telling him stories at night; giving him his first speeder bike when he turned ten; watching him and cheering as he raced; her beautiful smile that reached to her eyes and made you smile in return; her voice as she sang him to sleep.

Jacen was confused by these rapidly surfacing memories. What was Vader looking for?

Jacen screamed and clutched his head as white-hot pain ripped through him. A new image came to play before him. Apparently this was what Vader had been searching for.

His mother ran desperately through the wide halls of a building that Jacen recognized from Alderaan. The hall was dark, and his mother kept glancing over her shoulders as she ran. Fear such as Jacen had never known was evident in her face, and her eyes spoke of untold horrors that awaited her if she did not leave.

Jacen watched his mother run, dread rising in his heart as his mother desperately tried to flee the hell that was pursuing her.

He strained to see the cause of his mother's flight, and as he did three dark figures entered the memory and surrounded his mother. He watched as she successfully fought off two of them and injured the other - not without sustaining injuries herself, of course. Her pursuers had used blasters and other weapons not familiar to Jacen while fighting her, and had hit her several times.

Jacen's mother continued to run until she reached the end of the halls. Her face lighted up, and Jacen knew that she had reached her goal.

Jacen did not understand what he was seeing. _This is not a memory of mine_. He continued to think of that as this awareness of the past went by him. _If it's not my memory, then it has to be_ - He paused. _Vader! This is his memory! But, how does he know my mother?_

Jacen's mother walked through the door to reach safety, but as she did so a dark robed figure bearing a bright red saber dropped from above her. His mother's eyes widened in surprise and fear at the creature before her, and then the figure raised his weapon, not wasting a moment as he brought it down on her -

"NOOO!!!!" Jacen screamed, shoving Vader and the image of his mother's body from his mind.

Jacen's breaths came in heavy gasps as he tried to calm himself. That memory was wrong. His mother was alive; he had felt her only a few minutes ago! He slowed his breathing and thought that the images had been a trick. Yes, that's what it was - a trick. Somehow Vader had manipulated his own memory in order to prompt Jacen's reaction.

His breathing became even again and he rose from his position on the floor. He was confused - he didn't remember falling to the ground - but he cleared his thoughts as he turned to face the Dark Lord.

Vader had not moved from his place near the young jedi, watching the boy's struggle with interest. Then, when he thought that the youth had compiled himself enough, he returned to his interrogation of the boy.

"Your mother was foolish to hide you. She will pay for her lack of judgment soon."

"You will not lay a hand on her!" Jacen cried vehemently.

Undaunted by the boy's outburst, the Dark Lord continued.

"Jacen, you have great talent. Only with proper guidance will you be able to embrace your full potential."

There was a quiet whisper beneath the sith's uttering, but Jacen ignored it; he was too busy staring at Vader in horror.

_He knows my name. _

Jacen realized that Vader must have learned more from his memories than he had thought. The boy trembled in fear and dread. If Vader knew his name then he might know more things about him, things that his father had warned him to keep secret. Force, he might even know that Obi-Wan was his father!

The whisper that Jacen had felt earlier grew stronger as he thought of those things; it grew into a constant roar within his head. Jacen shook his head to rid himself of the noise, but it only became louder.

_What is going on?_ Jacen thought until a voice silenced him.

Come, it said. Come...

Jacen spun around, trying to locate the source of the voice, but he saw no one else in the hall with him other than Vader. He stared intently at the Dark Lord, but he knew that the voice didn't belong to him. Vader's voice was deep and mechanical; this one was soft...and cunning.

You could be powerful...very powerful...

He shuddered as he felt his body go numb with sudden cold. He could feel the voice wrap itself around his mind, easily defeating his efforts to keep it out.

He sank to his knees in defeat, and the voice tightened its control of his mind in triumph.

I will show you the way...I will show you how to fully use your powers...

Vader was doing this to him, he knew it now. But the Dark Lord was too far within him for Jacen to resist. He was far too powerful for him; taking the young jedi would be a simple task. Jacen scowled in disgust - Vader was toying with him, trying to see how long he would hold out before collapsing in exhaustion.

You belong to me, young one....

Jacen shook his head, desperately trying to ignore the voice, but it seemed to be everywhere inside him at once. The sensation of cold fear slowly made its way down his body, and Jacen knew that the voice's control was nearly complete. Oh, why couldn't he fight this thing, this evil?

You would be with your mother...

...and your father...

"Vader! Let him go!"

The voice inside him subsided and Jacen raised his head, surprised to see his parents standing before him. His father stood straight, emerald blade extended and blue eyes flashing in a quiet fury. His mother was beside him, her hands wrapped tightly around a blaster as she glared emerald fire at the sith.

"Obi-Wan." Vader paused as he turned his attention to the new arrivals. "I have been expecting you."

"Let him go," Katherine growled at the sith, never taking her eyes off his dark form.

Vader studied Katherine silently for a few moments, and then answered her. "As you wish."

Immediately the remnants of that evil voice faded from Jacen's head and he was able to pick himself from the floor. He got to his feet a bit shakily, unsure of what to do, and watched as his parents shared insults with Vader.

"I have been waiting for this moment a long time. You will not leave this station alive," Vader said to his former master.

"Any coward can fight a battle he's sure of winning, Darth," Obi-Wan retorted.

Vader was silent as he watched his old master, waiting for the opportunity to begin the battle. Slowly, so that Jacen had to strain to see it, Vader moved his right hand. Katherine's blaster went flying from her hands and the force of the invisible blow flung her aside.

Instantly Obi-Wan lunged at the Dark Lord, but Vader blocked the attack with his saber. The crimson blade made Jacen think of blood and he shivered as an eerie sense of foreboding gathered in his mind.

Vader thrust Obi-Wan off him and swung low at the old man. The jedi deftly parried Vader's saber with his own, and the battle of blocks and blows continued.

Jacen ran to his mother's side. She had landed against the side of the hallway and was struggling to get up.

"Mo -"

"No," Katherine cut her son off. "Do not call me that. Do not let him know anything."

Jacen knew that she was referring to Vader and he decided not to tell her that Vader already knew more than she supposed. Instead he helped his mother to her feet, and after she insisted that she was not terribly hurt they hurried after the dueling warriors, who had moved further down another hallway.

Jacen noticed that his father and Vader had led the battle to the front of the hangar where the _Falcon_ was located, and he briefly wondered if that was intentional before turning his attention back to his father's composed form.

Vader raised his weapon to bring down on Obi-Wan and the jedi spun to avoid being hit by the blade. Vader had been expecting this however, and quickly changed the angle of his blow. Obi-Wan recovered fast enough to block the attack, but he was in a position so that it was difficult for him to escape from the Dark Lord's hold.

Immediately Vader reached out to the two bystanders and clamped down tight. Jacen looked at his mother in horror as she began to choke next to him. Her breath came in shallow gasps and she desperately clawed at the invisible hands on her throat as she tried to breathe. Vader's hold on her tightened and Katherine began to choke more violently.

Obi-Wan heard Katherine's gasps and knew instantly what Vader was doing to her. His eyes darkened with rage and he quickly summoned the Force to shove Vader away from him.

The Dark Lord stumbled back a few paces, but he recovered and came at Obi-Wan again with renewed fury. Obi-Wan's attack had the desired effect: distracted, Vader had released his hold on Katherine.

Katherine nearly collapsed as the hand around her throat disappeared and Jacen caught her in his arms. She coughed a few times as her lungs gathered needed air, and then looked at her son.

"You must leave," she told him.

"But -"

"No. We will be all right."

Vader and Obi-Wan's fighting had caught the attention of nearby stormtroopers in the hangar bay and they moved from their posts to aid their commander if they needed to. Unfortunately they also blocked Jacen's only way of escape to the _Falcon_.

"You must find a way to es -" Katherine's instructions were cut off as Vader returned to his previous attentions, using the Force to slowly suffocate her as he distracted Obi-Wan.

Jacen was seriously alarmed. His mother needed help, but he had no idea what to do. He couldn't attack Vader - he hadn't the skills for that - nor could he enlist his father's aid for he was too busy trying to defend himself from the relentless attacks of the sith.

"Esc - ape." Jacen turned to his mother as she gasped at him. Her face was red and her emerald eyes shone with unshed tears, but whether they were from pain or sorrow Jacen could not tell. He grasped his mother's hand tightly in his as she spoke.

"You - are ---- our -- last --- hope." Each word was strained and spoken so softly that Jacen had to listen closely to understand what his mother was saying.

"Go --" The word was cut short as she gasped painfully for air. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly with each breath. Jacen could feel her fear and he grasped her to him tightly.

Katherine seemed to relax for an instant before straining once more. She smiled at her son and squeezed his hands, letting her tear fall freely.

"L - love ----- you."

Katherine convulsed violently but never took her eyes from her son's as the last word ended with her breath, and her life.

Jacen sat next to his mother's body, staring unblinking into the face of the one whom his heart held to be most dear. He couldn't believe that she was gone. She had just been there, talking to him and now she was dead, never to come back.

He shook silently in grief, but he refused to let his tears fall. Vader had done this. Vader had murdered his mother. Jacen raised his eyes from his mother as he fumed with rage.

Vader would pay.

Obi-Wan felt Katherine slip away and he mentally cried out in anguish. The one woman he had ever loved had been taken from him before his very eyes, and he had done nothing to prevent it.

He had lost so much; his apprentice, his friends, his honor and now his love. But he had not lost everything.

Jacen.

He still had his son.

Obi-Wan saw Jacen beside Katherine's body and he glanced from his son to the troopers at the bay entrance. The distance wasn't too much. If he could only distract them long enough...

Jacen rose from his place by his mother and turned to look at his father, his only kin. Jacen furrowed his brow in confusion as his father deliberately backed off in his attack of Vader, then sidestepped from the sith so that he had a clear view of his son.

Obi-Wan glanced in Jacen's direction briefly and smiled at the boy's confusion. He had his mother's heart and his father's strength; he would be fine in the future. He would be a jedi.

Obi-Wan turned quickly and in the next instant he secured his son's future. He extended a hand and sent the Force at the blocking troopers. They were flung backwards as the extremity of the jedi's offense hit them.

All of the troopers were knocked unconscious as they were slammed against the metal floor.

Jacen's path was clear.

It took only a few seconds, but that was all that Vader needed. The Dark Lord rushed at the old jedi. Obi-Wan's eyes shone with serenity and absolution as they locked with those of his son. Obi-Wan's gaze softened to one of love as he looked at his son, and he nodded to himself.

Jacen watched with growing dread and confusion as his father raised his lightsaber in a salute to the Dark Lord. Vader never hesitated.

Jacen screamed in rage as the crimson blade cut through his father. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight and Jacen's last relative, became one with the Force, and Jacen was suddenly and painfully aware that he was alone with his parents' murderer: Darth Vader.

Before Vader had a chance to turn around, Jacen was running. He was vaguely aware of someone yelling to blast the door he had just run through, and as his mind registered who had spoken an invisible hand pushed him from behind.

Jacen nearly stopped in his tracks, but his father's ethereal voice commanded otherwise. _"Jacen, run!"_

Jacen didn't hesitate to comply as he sprinted aboard the Falcon and past Luke and the others as he sought out a place to bury his anger and despair.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

AN: I thought that after my last update everything would be calm and smooth. Instead, what ensued were the most chaotic forty-eight hours of my life. I was given the okay to study in Australia, and then I finally got a copy of an old poem I have been researching for three months, which then involved contacting some museums, etc. Then I had to apply for a passport, among other things...so let's just say that life has been...very upbeat lately. Such is the reason for the delay on this update.

Thanks so much, **Padawan Sydney Bristow**, for your review. I'm glad that you like my story - I am trying really hard to update more regularly, but school always comes first (and now Australia). Still, I appreciate your taking the time to RR. Thanks!

And **Flesca** - it's great to hear from you again. Yes, I drew that picture and I'm glad that you liked it. Let's just say that I was inspired over the summer at my job one day...or night… I dunno, the two kinda blended together after a while. Nway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as I head in to the final stretch to Part Two!

Chapter Seventeen

_Fear not for the future, weep not for the past. - Percy Bysshe Shelley_

Jacen sat in the back of the _Falcon_, silently staring at the ancient weapon in his hands. It had been his father's weapon and he had given it to him out of trust.

When his father had handed the blade to him, Jacen had made a silent promise to his father to honor and uphold the traditions of the jedi. That simple motion had passed the torch on to a new generation of defenders.

His father had been the flame to light the torch. When he died, the fire had extinguished with him.

He turned the blade over gently and ran his fingers lightly across its calloused surface as he thought about its previous owner.

Jacen wasn't sure how he felt about Obi-Wan. The aged jedi had been more of a teacher to him than a father, yet Jacen had acknowledged the paternal bond that they had shared. It was a mix of support, confidence, empathy and love like Jacen had never felt before - a link that he had never had with his mother.

It had been a special bond between father and son that was strengthened through the Force - a bond that Jacen thought would never cease now that he had found it.

But when Vader cut down his father, the part of his mind that had been connected to him was silenced forever.

The young jedi quickly shut his eyes to prevent his sorrow from consuming him. His grip tightened on the saber as he fought with himself to control his emotions.

After several minutes of concentration Jacen returned to a somewhat passive state. He forced himself to take several deep breaths and his grip on his weapon relaxed as he searched for his center of calm.

When he could breathe evenly again and he had let go of his grief, Jacen's thoughts turned to his mother.

He nearly choked as the image of her death appeared before him. He had loved his mother greater than any other person in the galaxy.

His love for her was due in part because she had been his mother. She had given birth to him, cared for him as a child and had supported him unconditionally through everything he had done. There was a certain loyalty and affection that Jacen had developed for his mother because of her steadfast devotion to his welfare.

He also greatly admired his mother. She had resisted the Empire's initial attempts to create the Imperial Senate - one of the few brave enough to do so. She had also been one of a small number to survive the Empire's crackdown on their opposers.

Jacen wondered perhaps if she survived because she had been pregnant. Or maybe it was because of her affiliation with Alderaan's royal family. Whatever the reason, after Jacen's birth she had continued to oppose the Empire as an ambassador.

She was the kindest, most loving person he knew, and Jacen was proud to say that Katherine was his mother.

The loss of his mother created a hole in him that he knew would never fill. He doubted that he would ever completely get over her death.

But Jacen had to wonder why she had never told him about Obi-Wan. His father had tried to explain to him the reason, but he didn't understand what duty could have been so great as to keep him ignorant of his paternity and them apart as a family.

He knew that his mother had loved his father. He could remember occasions when he was young when he would catch his mother gazing at the stars, hugging her hands to her chest. Sometimes she would whisper a name, but it was always too quiet for Jacen to understand what had been said. Mostly though, she remained silent as she searched through the stars. At those times she had looked so unhappy; memories both beautiful and sad surfaced within her and culminated in a ceaseless longing for what she was forbidden to have.

Jacen hadn't understood the reason for her pain, but now he did. She missed her companion, her friend, her lover. She missed Obi-Wan.

Jacen shook his head in confusion. If his mother had loved him so much, why hadn't she simply told her son about Obi-Wan? Until a day ago he had known very little about his father - he hadn't even known his name until his mother had introduced them.

He had never really thought about it before, but now Jacen wondered why he hadn't been named after Obi-Wan; he had his mother's name instead.

He knew that mothers often named their children after dead or missing loved ones, and he found it somewhat strange that his mother had not followed that tradition. He looked so much like his father, and according to his mother he acted like him as well. Why had she chosen to name him independently?

_Because you are not your father_, a voice inside his head responded.

Jacen closed his eyes in silent agreement. No, he was not his father. An image of his mother lying limp against the walls of the Death Star as well of Vader standing menacingly over his father's remains burned unbidden in his mind, and Jacen gripped his saber so tightly that his knuckles turned white from his anger.

He may not be the greatest jedi like his father was, but he was his father's son and keeper of his mother's namesake. He was Jacen Rhodes. He would rekindle his father's flame, and he would have his revenge.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

AN: Sorry that this took so long to post. The sever has been down, and classes got a little rough, what with papers and such to write (yeah). There are two more chapters left for me to write. I will try to get them finished as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience!

They arrived safely at the Rebel Base a few hours later. The base was located on a moon of the giant red planet Yavin, and those who had discovered the planet had enough creative foresight to name its moons in numerical order. As it was they were on the third moon from Yavin, called Yavin Four.

The entire moon was a jungle. It was teeming with wildlife and an atmosphere hot enough to rival that of Tatooine's. The base was located in an old temple in the middle of the jungle. It was overgrown with vines and a variety of local plant growth. Lizard-like creatures scurried up and down the sides of the temple, disappearing into tiny cracks whenever someone happened to pass by.

They had only just arrived on the moon and already Jacen was breaking a sweat. He mentally groaned; it seemed as if all he had been going to lately were sweltry planets.

Jacen glanced over at Luke to see his reaction to the place. Luke may have been used to this kind of heat, but he was sweating just as much as Jacen. The boy was walking carefully behind Leia, trying to concentrate on following her, but his eyes betrayed his supposed outer calm; his blue eyes darted back and forth as they tried to take in everything at once.

Jacen smiled to himself. He had been to many planets during his young life and he knew what it was like to observe a foreign culture, but it always amused him to see another's reaction. Especially when that person, like Luke, had never traveled off-world before. It was always a unique experience, one to be best appreciated independently.

Jacen turned to look back in the direction of the Falcon. Han and Chewie had declined to come with them to the base, opting instead to search the ship for any signs of Imperial tampering - other than the tracking device they had found - and then to complete needed repairs. Luke thought that they had stayed because Han didn't want any added attention to him from rescuing the princess, but Jacen knew better. Han would stay away until things had calmed down a bit before swooping in to get his reward. Jacen suppressed a smile at the thought; apparently he and Leia had a disagreement about Han's reward while Jacen had been meditating.

"Leia!"

Jacen snapped his head up at the sound of the voice - he thought that he recognized it.

Leia looked up and smiled as she threw her arms around an older man. It was General Willard. Jacen had seen him from time to time on Alderaan in meetings with his mother and Bail Organa. He had never supposed that he belonged to the Alliance, and it came as a surprise to him that Willard was.

"Thank goodness you're all right. When we heard about Alderaan we feared the worse," Willard said.

Leia paused slightly, grief showing in her eyes for only a moment before she composed herself. "There will be time to mourn later, General. Right now we need to get a readout on the information that is inside this R2 unit."

Leia motioned to Artoo, who was sitting next to a very nervous Threepio. The general nodded.

"Right. You two," he motioned to two techs nearby, "get this droid plugged in to our computer right away."

The two men saluted the general before indicating to Artoo to follow them. Artoo gave them a happy chirp in response and followed them out of the hangar, whistling to himself the whole way.

Jacen smiled to himself at the little droid and he turned around as a metal hand was placed on his shoulder. It was Threepio.

"Hey Threepio. What is it?"

"Master Jacen, do you think that Artoo will be all right?"

Jacen smiled at the droid's concern for his friend. "Of course he will be all right. They're just gonna find out about that battle station."

"Oh. Of course." Threepio looked slightly confused.

"Don't worry, he'll be back soon," Jacen reassured him.

"Hey Jacen!" Luke yelled at him, running from across the hangar.

"Yeah?" He asked, meeting Luke.

"How well can you fly?" Luke's eyes sparkled with excitement and Jacen was at a loss as to the reason why.

"Pretty well. Why?"

Luke grinned. "They're short on pilots and need some for the battle. They're testing some in simulators and if you do well enough you get to fly one of the ships."

Fly a ship - perhaps a good one - into battle? Part of him said that it was a stupid idea, but the pilot in him easily shut that out. This sounded like fun.

"Well, let's go; we don't want to be given a piece of junk, do we?"

Luke's grin widened even more. "I don't care what they give me so long as I can fly."

Jacen mentally agreed and the two boys went off in the direction of the Sims to try their luck for a place in the stars.

The voice over the com was muffled and crackled with static. "Okay. When it starts, just keep your eyes on the screen and shoot when the dot is in the target. Got that?"

Jacen couldn't help but grin at the sudden surge of excitement and adrenaline. He was in the simulator, which wasn't much more than an old X-Wing cockpit remodeled to serve for training. The original windows and equipment had been replaced with a computer screen and a single joystick for maneuvering and firing.

The place was a little cramped, but Jacen didn't mind. He felt like he could endure anything - even a fight against Vader - as long as he got a chance to fly. Luke was in another Sim, his test already underway as Jacen waited for the okay to begin.

"Yeah, I copy," he answered.

"All right," the static voice continued. "The test will begin shortly. Good luck."

The lights in the cockpit dimmed and Jacen gripped the stick in preparation for the start of his test. The screen in front of him flickered on and blinked a few times before it was suddenly swarming with tiny replicas of TIE fighters.

Jacen's eyes widened in surprise at the number of enemies and the quickness in which they appeared, but he overcame his hesitation and concentrated on hitting the weaving targets.

He swung left and right to keep up with the constant movements of the fighters. His eyes flickered over the screen, firing at the ships that either came too close for his liking or found themselves in his target.

Soon only a few fighters were left, but Jacen was having some difficulty destroying them. The little ships kept maneuvering so that Jacen had to change the direction of his target to keep them in his sights. Finally he locked on to one of the remaining ships and fired. The small fighter blinked once before disappearing from the screen entirely.

Jacen held down a small feeling of relief and instead concentrated on the two ships that were left. He locked on to one easily and destroyed it, but the final ship was proving to be difficult. Obviously this one had been given an advanced program - it was flying all over his scopes.

"Sit still will ya?" Jacen said between clenched teeth.

He moved to the right, then left, then back to his right as he followed the ship's movements on screen. Force, why wouldn't this thing quit moving? Jacen kept up with the ship, and then grinned to himself as he caught the fighter. Quickly he targeted the ship and fired the final blow. The tiny TIE fighter bleeped, and then the screen went blank as it disappeared.

Jacen sighed to himself. Thank goodness that's over, he thought. I wonder how I did.

The com crackled on and the voice answered his unspoken question. "Congratulations, Rhodes. You have passed the test. You are to report to Dave Hemley, leader of the Red Squadron. Welcome to the Alliance."

The com turned off and Jacen sat in the Sim, stunned. He had passed the test. He was now a member of the Rebel Alliance, and he was going to get to fight in the upcoming battle. Jacen grinned. He could almost see himself piloting the ship now, flying among the stars as he shot down Imperial fighters.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and climbed out of the Sim. He had to find Luke! Jacen walked around the hangar for a while looking for his friend, and it didn't take him long to find him.

Luke was speaking to a young man about their age with dark hair. Jacen noticed that the guy already had on a pilot's jump suit and he wondered what squadron he was flying with.

Luke noticed Jacen before he had a chance to introduce himself.

"Hey Jacen! Come here!"

Smiling, Jacen obliged.

"This is a friend of mine, Biggs Darklighter. We grew up on Tatooine together."

Jacen turned to the taller man and shook his hand. "I'm Jacen Rhodes. So you lived on that rock, too?"

Biggs laughed. "Hard to believe, but it's true. Thankfully the Academy saved me from a life of moisture farming." He turned to Luke. "I never thought that your uncle would let you leave that place, but I'm glad you're here, Luke."

Luke nodded. "So am I."

"Well, I have to get ready. I'll see you guys later. Nice meeting you, Jacen."

"It was nice meeting you as well."

Biggs left and Luke turned to speak to Jacen.

"So? How did your test go?"

Jacen smiled. "I made it. How about you?"

"Me too. I'm with Red Squadron - "

Jacen's grin widened. "Same here."

"Biggs is with us, too. With the three of us up there the Empire won't stand a chance!"

"Yeah, they won't even know what hit 'em."

The two friends laughed and joked about the upcoming battle loudly as they made their way to the conference room. There they, along with the other squadrons, would be briefed on the Alliance's plan of attack against the approaching Death Star.

When Jacen and Luke got to the room it was already crowded. Pilots, techs and a few people that Jacen recognized as members of the former Imperial Senate either sat or stood near a small computer display as they waited for the briefing to begin.

Jacen scanned the room and noticed that Han and Chewie were there. They were standing in the back of the room. Han was leaning against the wall with his arms folded and Chewie stood near him watching the members of the Alliance as they gathered in the room. Jacen waved to the two of them and Han nodded in acknowledgment.

Luke tugged at Jacen's sleeve and indicated to him that they should find a seat. They sat in the rear of the room next to a pilot that seemed to be their age. Jacen looked around the room at the other pilots - many of them were wearing their bright orange jump suits - and he was slightly shocked to find that the majority of them were very young - either his age or a few years older.

He knew that life under the Empire was harsh, but he hadn't ever thought it bad enough that so many young men would be willing to give up their lives just for that one remote chance they might do something to end its tyranny.

He tuned in to the conversation that Luke was having with the young pilot next to them. His name was Wedge Antilles, and he hadn't been with the Alliance long. His father had been a captain in charge of the safety of the stolen Imperial plans, but he had been caught and killed by Darth Vader.

Jacen felt his jaw tighten at the mention of that name.

_Vader._

That black-clad monster was responsible for his parents' deaths. He had killed his mother simply to distract his father, and then he had killed him too. Jacen clenched his fists. The next time he met Vader he was going to make that man pay dearly for his crimes.

General Dodonna, an aged man and one of the leading officers at the base, walked to the front of the room and faced the crowd before him. He waited until the room had quieted before speaking.

"We don't have much time, so I'll skip the formalities and get to the point." He moved to the side so that the computer screen was visible to everyone in the room. "We have analyzed the technical readouts of the battle station provided by Princess Leia, and we have managed to determine a weak point in the station's design."

The screen flickered and a basic outline of the Death Star appeared on screen. The whole room's attention was riveted upon the screen before them. Jacen couldn't help but think that the battle station looked a little small, but then realized that was because he was one of the few in the room that had actually seen the station. He wondered how the other pilots in the room would handle seeing it at close range.

The general continued his briefing.

"You will have to fly down a small trench on the side of the station to this point."

Here the image changed, showing the desired trench that they were going to have to find.

"The target is this small shaft. Only a direct hit will trigger a main reaction, but the shaft is shielded so you will have to use your photon torpedoes." Dodonna paused briefly. "The target area is only two meters wide."

An audible shock wave went through the crowd. Jacen was stunned. Two meters!

Luke didn't seem to be too concerned.

"It's not impossible," he was saying to Wedge. "I used to target womp rats in my T-16 back home and they're not much bigger than two meters."

Jacen wanted to smile. Leave it to the farm boy to come up with that reassuring analogy.

The general's briefing was coming to an end. He turned off the computer screen and looked back at the men and women assembled before him, his face grave with the enormity of the task ahead. "Man your ships," he said, extending his hands. "And may the Force be with you."

Minutes later Jacen was in his flight suit, holding his helmet in one arm as he walked confidently to his ship. He was excited- he would be flying an X-wing, the fastest ship in the Alliance and he couldn't wait to be up in the stars fighting Imperial scum; those fighters would be no match for him.

Jacen arrived at his assigned ship and he stared up at it in eager anticipation. He knew that the battle would be dangerous, but for the moment all that mattered was that he would get the chance to pilot this ship.

A tech who was working on final adjustments to the ship hailed Jacen, shaking him out of his reverie.

"Sir, we're almost finished with your droid. We'll be done in a minute."

Jacen nodded his understanding and watched as the techs lowered the droid into the back of the X-wing.

The droid was the standard astromech type used by the Alliance. The droids were utility robots that specialized in repairs and technology; they were like your standard all-purpose pocket knives wrapped up in a mechanical tin can.

This droid was an earlier model of the Artoo unit. It looked similar to Artoo-Detoo, but the droid's edges weren't as smooth as Artoo's and the identifying green paint on the unit was missing in several places on the droid's surface. The paint under the dome looked especially worn. The droid didn't seem to notice its chafed appearance, however; it hummed merrily to itself as it was lowered into the ship. Its name, according to one of the techs, was R7-D5.

A tech that appeared to be in his mid-thirties looked up from his work near Arseven and gave Jacen a thumbs-up. "We're ready. She's all yours, sir."

Jacen nodded and put on his helmet. "Thanks."

He climbed up the ladder to the cockpit and strapped himself in as the techs cleared their tools from the ship. He checked his gears as he went through the take-off sequence, and then flexed his hands as he adjusted his grip on the controls.

"You ready back there?"

Arseven whistled an affirmative, adding somewhat sarcastically that he at least was thankful that he had already met _his_ maker.

Jacen grinned. This was going to be an interesting battle.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

AN: I am SO sorry that I haven't updated in nearly a month. For the past three weeks I have been doing nothing other than studying and writing papers. I am finally on break so I have a chance to catch up with my writing, but I also have two papers to write (Blech). Oh and fair warning: I will be gone for the first week of April on a trip to New York. I can't wait!

I promise that the plot will get more interesting in Part Two. I'm barely following the films from there on out, so this won't seem too much like 'Another Character Added to the Trilogy' story. Enjoy the battle!

_Never give up, never give in, and when the upper hand is ours, may we have the ability to handle the win with the dignity that we absorbed the loss. – Doug Williams_

The tiny fighter rocked heavily as it passed through the Death Star's magnetic field and Jacen gripped the controls to steady the ship. A few minutes ago he had been eager with anticipation at the upcoming fight, but as he drifted closer to the battle station his feelings had gradually lessened to a dull buzz.

A few of the men in the squadron had voiced their initial shock at the size of the station, and though Jacen had already seen it he had to agree with them. The Death Star was colossal; the size of a small moon. But it was a void.

The station was cold and lifeless, like those who had created it. Like the monster that commanded it. It had the ability to destroy an entire planet, and its size and power was meant to coerce races to kowtow before the Empire. Before Vader.

Each demolished planet created a void that the Death Star mockingly filled. It was a shadow of its victims; a lifeless embodiment of extinct civilizations. The Empire's pride and joy was nothing more nor less than death itself.

In this battle the Rebellion was doing more than protecting their cause. They were fighting for other worlds and peoples so that they would not suffer the ultimate cruelty of a tyrannical government. They were fighting so that those worlds would have a future.

Death had appeared in its worst form yet. And they were going to kill it.

Jacen's hand tightened and relaxed as he thought of the humiliation the end of the battle station would cause the Empire. More importantly, he thought of the embarrassment that would bring to its commander.

He stared hard at the mechanical super weapon before him.

_Vader will pay for what he did to my parents._ _I'll make sure of that._

Jacen tore his gaze away from the battle station as the voice of his squadron leader came over the comm.

"All wings report in."

Jacen did a final system check as the other fighters rounded off their call signals.

"Red Seven standing by."

Jacen recognized the voice as belonging to Biggs, and he smiled when he heard Luke call in.

"Red Five standing by."

Jacen could hear the stretched anticipation in his friend's voice and he imagined that he must sound the same way. He finished his system check and flipped on his comm.

"This is Red Nine standing by," he said.

A few more fighters reported in and then the comm crackled with renewed static.

"This is Red Leader. Lock S-foils in attack position."

Jacen punched in the correct code and watched as the fighters' wings unfolded to the 'X' position. The group stayed tight together as they headed toward the station's trenches. Jacen's gut clenched slightly as the group made a hard dive to the left and flew above the station.

"This is it, boys!" Red Leader said over the comm.

Jacen exhaled deeply. The battle had begun.

A squadron of Y-wings headed down the trench and Red Group followed them. Jacen swung low to avoid fire from the Death Star's massive guns, but then he found himself face to face with a large wall. Without taking time to think Jacen turned right to avoid the protruding column.

His leader's voice blared over the comm. "Red Nine, what in hell are you doing down there?"

"Just seeing what this baby can do, sir," he replied.

"Well now that you know you have a real ship and not some toy fighter, get back in to formation!"

"Yes sir," Jacen said. He pulled back on his stick and joined the other members of his squadron behind the Y-wings.

The Death Star was so close that it had ceased to be a moon. Thousands of lights flickered across its hard surface and the sections of the ship made it look more like a city map. But this was a deadly city. Imperials deep inside the station fired at the attacking Rebel ships, but luckily the cannons were too bulky to be effective against the more maneuverable X-wings. Shots from the station flew harmlessly by. Only occasionally did Jacen have to turn his ship to avoid the laser fire.

Luke's voice came over the comm. "I'm going in!"

On his right Jacen saw Luke nosedive and fire rapidly at the surface of the battle station. A giant fireball exploded on the surface and in a moment of terror Jacen realized that Luke was too close to the explosion to make it out.

"Luke, pull up!"

At the last moment Luke cut on his thrusters and shot out of the fireball. Jacen sighed in relief.

"You okay there?"

Luke's voice was slightly shaken. "I'm a little cooked but I'm alright."

"Watch it! Enemy fighters coming in!"

Jacen grinned. It was about time.

A squadron of TIE fighters came screaming down on the group of X-wings. A barrage of fire across his underside alerted Jacen to the enemy behind him.

"You've got one on your tail, Red Nine!"

"I see him," Jacen replied. His hands gripped the controls as he weaved left and right in an attempt to dislodge the fighter. Shots from the TIE kept coming. Jacen glanced over his shoulder out the cockpit window but he couldn't get a lock on him. Frustrated, Jacen broke off from his formation. He twisted hard to his left. The TIE followed.

Jacen tried to get behind the fighter, but the pilot was following him too close. Abruptly Jacen turned to his right and dove straight at the station's surface. Seeing that its prey was wide open, the Imperial fighter shot rapidly at the X-wing. Jacen quickly changed his direction and continued to dive, but the TIE adjusted with him.

Two shots hit the X-wing's surface. Jacen was slammed hard against his seat with the combination of the impact and force of the dive. Pieces of the X-wing flew off and banged against the cockpit window. Arseven began whistling in alarm. Apparently one of the shots had hit the shield generator.

_Uh oh. That wasn't good._

"Try to fix that, would you?" Jacen grit out to the droid.

Arseven replied that he would.

"Thanks. And hang on; this isn't over yet!"

With a damaged shield and the TIE still hot on his tail Jacen knew that he wouldn't last long if didn't find a way out of this fast. The other members of his squadron were busy defending themselves, and even if someone could break free there was little chance that they'd get to him before the Imperial blew him to bits. Great.

_Trust the Force, Jacen._

He narrowly missed a laser as the sound of his father's voice filled the cockpit. _What the - ?_

Obi-Wan spoke again. _Relax, Jacen. The Force will guide you._

The Force would guide him? What was that supposed to mean? He had a hard enough time using the Force as it was, and now his dead father was telling him to relax? How was he supposed to concentrate on the Force and not get fried at the same time?

_Use the Force, my son._

Jacen sighed in a mixture of frustration and exasperation. It wasn't like he had much of a choice anyway.

He relaxed his grip on the controls and closed his eyes as he concentrated on opening himself to the Force. The sounds of the battle gradually died away until he was aware of only himself and the Force.

A familiar sensation filled him and Jacen's awareness of the battle became sharpened. He could feel the fear and determination coming from the Rebels as well as the Imperials; he could feel the Imperial pilot's concentration behind him as he fought to keep up with Jacen.

Jacen's eyes flew open. He knew what he had to do. He pulled his ship out of its downward spiral and headed toward their target trench. He ignored the wave of surprise from the fighter behind him at his sudden actions and concentrated at finding the perfect spot…There!

In front of him twin cannons were firing at the Rebel ships. These guns were powerful enough so that even a slight graze of the laser would cause a ship to erupt in a giant ball of flame, sending the pilot on a one-way trip to his Maker.

Those cannons were where Jacen wanted to be.

He tapped his thrusters just a bit and sped ahead of the TIE. His plan was to make it look as if he was trying to escape from the fighter. Hopefully the enemy pilot would be too determined to let him go and he would follow Jacen.

Jacen checked his scopes and smiled as he saw that the TIE had also increased its speed. Now he had to pretend that he was scared.

Jacen began to repeat his earlier movements of weaving back and forth. The first time he had done this was to throw the pilot off his tail. Now it was to get the ship to move closer to his.

Again his ruse worked. Recognizing Jacen's earlier maneuvers, the TIE pilot thought that he had him and increased his speed to allow for a better shot. Jacen fought back a smile; he wasn't out of it yet. He still had to get past the cannons.

The first cannon was rapidly approaching. Jacen pretended that he didn't see it and continued to weave back and forth. Hopefully the pilot would be too busy trying to get Jacen in his sights to notice the volley of fire coming from the cannons.

Jacen let out a deep breath as the first cannon loomed in front of him. He checked to make sure that the TIE was still behind him, and then quickly brought his X-wing to a near stop. The engines screamed in protest of the abrupt change of pace, but the ship slowed.

Unfortunately so did the TIE.

The pilot rounded the first cannon then doubled back to where Jacen was, spewing emerald death.

_Blast!_

Jacen kicked in the engines and looped around the TIE in a last ditch effort to confuse the pilot, then headed toward the cannons. He flew past the first one, just missing the laser that was fired in his direction. He flew onwards to the second, the TIE amazingly still behind him.

Jacen saw the second cannon ready its guns to fire and his grip on the controls loosened. In his moment of panic he nearly lost his connection with the Force and for an instant fear gripped his heart as he realized that what he was doing was suicidal. Then the Force was back and his doubt was gone.

Sweat poured down his face as he concentrated on keeping his connection with the Force. The TIE began to fire and Jacen saw the lasers come at him. Then, inexplicably, the lasers slowed down. Whereas a few moments before he had been struggling with piloting the ship, he now simply moved the stick a few degrees and the lasers flew harmlessly past him.

He turned his attention to the giant cannon. It fired as he came up to it. Saw the laser approach. Felt the _rightness _of the moment …

Faster than he thought possible, Jacen pulled on his thrusters. The ship's engines roared and it leapt ahead of the blast.

Nevertheless, Jacen barely managed to keep the rear of the ship from bursting in to flame. Arseven squealed his disapproval and Jacen could have sworn that he felt the heat from the laser.

The TIE didn't see the shot until too late. It tried to follow Jacen but it got caught in the laser. Still connected to the Force, Jacen distinctly felt the pilot's surprise at Jacen's move before it was abruptly cut off as the ship blew apart in a ball of fire and metal.

Jacen let out a long breath. At least that was over.

"How is the shield, Arseven?"

The droid replied that he had fixed it, but that the ship would not survive a direct hit.

"Not many things would," Jacen replied. He adjusted his controls and then directed the ship back in to the battle.

Things were eerily quiet as Jacen rejoined the group. He noticed that the guns had stopped firing, but he couldn't figure out why.

One of the Y-wings spoke over the comm. "Watch out for enemy fighters."

So the Imperials had finally figured out that the big guns weren't effective against the small ships.

"I see them!" Gold Leader reported. "They're coming in three marks at two ten."

Jacen looked up and saw three TIE fighters enter the space just above the trench.

He was confused. Only three fighters? What were the Imperials thinking?

Well, he didn't have the time to sit and figure out Imperial strategy. He was there to protect those already locked on to the shaft, and that was what he was going to do.

He was, unfortunately, too far behind the main group to do any good and he watched helplessly as the middle ship of the three came up behind Gold Leader's Y-wing.

"I can't maneuver!" Gold Leader's voice was strained and full of fear. "I need to loosen up!"

The middle TIE fired at Gold Leader and the Y-wing was torn apart by the deadly lasers. Almost carelessly the same TIE, still flanked by the other fighters, caught up to Gold Five. Before Jacen had the time to blink Gold Five was a flaming mass of scrap metal.

Jacen's stomach roiled as the ships exploded, but he pushed the waves of nausea down. He sighted Red Leader and flew his ship behind him.

"This is Red Nine, flying toward you."

"Red Five standing by."

Jacen looked to his right and saw Luke's ship come up beside his own with Biggs and Wedge behind him.

"Red Three loaded and ready."

"Red Two here."

Red Leader acknowledged their presence by telling them to ready themselves for a second run.

"Get up high and be ready to make a run. Keep an eye out for fighters and tell me when you see them."

"Copy that, Red Leader."

They pulled up and flew together in formation, Jacen flanking the others above the station's surface.

They watched as Red Leader and two of their wingmates started their run to the exhaust port and Jacen scanned the area looking for any sign of the three TIES. It was difficult to spot them against the gray surface of the Death Star.

Jacen calmed himself and let the Force flow through him. He searched for the fighters by identifying the mark they made on the Force. The Rebel fighters emitted a faint echo passionate determination. The Imperials were more docile, more regimented and it was easy for Jacen to find them.

The first fighter was a regular soldier. Slightly better at flying than most, perhaps, but still just an average fighter. The second was similar to the first, but this one emitted great pride. Pride for what? Jacen frowned. The Force wouldn't tell him; it just showed him great satisfaction. Now the third fighter was … Jacen kept his surprise in check as he recognized the mind.

The third fighter was evil.

_Vader._

His eyes narrowed in disgust. So that was why there were only three fighters; Vader thought that he alone could destroy the Rebellion's defense. The man's arrogance was appalling.

Well no matter. Jacen knew where they were hiding and he flipped on his comm to tell Red Leader.

"Enemy fighters coming in at point three five, Red Leader."

"I see 'em, Red Nine."

As if on cue Vader and his guards appeared from the shadow of the Death Star in tight, almost flawless formation and flew toward the X-wings in the trench.

Jacen felt his anger rise as he watched Vader toy with the X-wings. Vader was by far the better pilot and he knew it. Instead of destroying the ships quickly like he had earlier, he contented himself with flying closer to the ships to make the pilots so nervous that they would not be able to concentrate on protecting their leader.

One of the X-wings blocked Vader's view of Red Leader, so Vader fired a shot that grazed past the ship's cockpit, forcing the pilot to fly into his sights. It made Jacen sick to see Vader take his time before finally firing the shot that ended the pilot's existence.

Vader's ship flew up behind the other X-wing. Jacen noticed that he didn't bother to play with this one. Very soon the green lasers spilled out of the TIE and another ship became added to Vader's personal battle score.

At nearly the same time Red Leader fired his proton torpedoes. Jacen's heart leapt in hope, but it was soon brought back to its normal state as Red Leader reported that the hit was a negative.

The group was silent for a few moments as they prepared to make their run.

"Alright guys. Let's go," Luke commanded and they dove in to the trench.

This was it. They were the Rebellion's last hope.

Luke was in the lead with Biggs and Wedge behind him. Jacen flew behind the group in anticipation of Vader's arrival.

Luke asked Jacen to move up front beside him, but Jacen refused; he needed to be where he could protect them from the incoming TIEs.

Soon enough Vader and his escorts rounded behind the small group of fighters. From his earlier observations Jacen knew that Vader would not fire until he had a clear shot. He took advantage of this knowledge and flew his ship unsteadily so that it continually prevented Vader from locking on to any one target.

It took a great deal of control to fly his ship so recklessly without endangering his wingmates, but he didn't have much choice. Their survival depended on hitting that shaft and Jacen was damned if he was going to let some boyish fear of Vader keep him from doing his duty.

Unfortunately Jacen had seriously underestimated Vader's experience in battles.

Jacen saw Vader rise his ship a few degrees above Jacen's. He realized too late what he was doing.

The lasers hot over Jacen's ship and struck Biggs head on. The X-wing exploded and Jacen screamed in rage. Fury controlling reason, Jacen pulled hard on his stick and looped behind the TIEs.

Vader took full advantage of Jacen's absence and fired at Wedge. Luckily the shot only damaged the ship, but Wedge could no longer fight and he had to pull out of the attack.

Now Luke was in clear view of Vader's targets.

Jacen's anger increased as he realized the reason Wedge had left.

Vader would pay.

Images of his parents' death and those of his friends flickered through his mind. They melded together to create a never-ending scene of death. And at the forefront of these images was Vader's mask – black and indifferent as he murdered all that Jacen had ever held dear.

Jacen's anger boiled.

Vader would pay, and Jacen would make sure that it was in full.

A command came over the comm but Jacen ignored it. He tightened his grip on the controls and glared at the black ship in front of him. He was going in.

Jacen maneuvered his ship so that it was in line with the TIE on Vader's right. He followed the fighter, expecting it to try to run, but it didn't move. He realized suddenly that Vader had ordered the fighters to stay at his side.

Why, was the Dark Lord actually scared?

Jacen resolved to terrify him.

He fired a single shot between the TIE's left panel and cockpit. It was his way of getting their attention.

Jacen saw the fighter waver slightly. His eyes gleamed and he grinned cruelly. He had him now.

He locked on to the Imperial ship and fired twice. The shots struck the fighter's right panel and sent the ship spiraling in to the trench wall.

By the time the light from the resulting explosion had faded, Jacen had already targeted the ship at Vader's left.

Jacen grinned to himself. He knew his attacks had made Vader nervous – he hadn't fired once at Luke.

He moved his thumb to rest over the trigger and thoughts of his parents came unbidden to his mind. A huge wave a pain gripped at his head and Jacen's vision became blurry. His thoughts ceased to be his own – all he saw was his parents' deaths over and over. He heard his mother's scream; her struggle to breathe as Vader choked her; his father's helplessness as Vader struck him down; his pain as the crimson blade cut through his flesh.

Jacen cried out once, and then deadly silence filled the cockpit.

When he opened his eyes there was no pain. Only hatred. He moved as if by someone else's command.

Defying all reason he broke off his attack of the TIE and flew behind Vader.

This man, this _thing_ had destroyed his family. It was because of him that he was now an orphan, that Luke and countless others were fatherless. He killed without emotion, without a care. He was evil itself. And he must die.

The console beeped as the ship locked on to that of the damned.

When Jacen spoke, his voice was deep and dripping with hate.

"Go to hell you monster."

He moved to fire.

The remaining TIE crashed in to Vader's ship, causing the sith to be flung into space as the other ship exploded.

"Yeeehah!"

Jacen blinked at the yell and his eyes refocused.

The voice inside his head died, as did his thoughts of revenge.

He looked up and saw the _Falcon _above the Death Star. Han's voice came again over the comm.

"Alright kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!"

_Blow up …?_

It took Jacen a moment to understand that he meant Luke. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and pulled his ship away from the Death Star.

Jacen saw Luke make the shot in to the shaft and he inwardly smiled.

_Thank the Force._

He, Luke, Han and the surviving ships blasted out of the way. Behind them the Death Star erupted into a giant fireball before exploding outwards. Jacen was knocked against his seat as the shockwave impacted. Man was he glad that Arseven had fixed the shields.

The shock wave passed soon enough and Jacen smiled as he listened to the cheers from the other pilots.

"Way to go, Luke!"

"You blew that baby to Bespin, man!"

Luke remained silent and Jacen could picture him grinning from the compliments and shock that he had actually destroyed the Empire's super weapon.

Luke touched his mind tentatively to see how he was doing, and Jacen reached out to strengthen their link.

He frowned as he connected to the Force. Something wasn't right. Before the Force had always been open and inviting. But now there was a blight to it, a … coldness that hadn't been there. It was a tiny coldness, like a prick of ice, but it was there. And it drew Jacen toward it.

Come, it said. Embrace me and I will make you strong …

Jacen reeled. The Dark Side …

_No! I can't! I won't!_

Yes, you can, the voice said. Jacen abruptly pushed it away.

_No. I am happy. We won and I am happy._

He told himself that the voice would go away, but as he headed toward the jungle moon he couldn't help but feel that it never would.


	20. Chapter Twenty

AN: A big thank you to everyone who has reviewed! Special thanks to **Onono**, whose constant reviews encouraged me to finally finish Part One. As stated, this is the final chapter for Part One in Epic. The second part should be up by next week, God (professors) willing. Thanks again!

_... joy and sorrow are inseparable . . . together they come and when one sits alone with you . . . remember that the other is asleep upon your bed. - Kahlil Gibran_

Jacen shifted nervously on his feet, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Luke was on his right, looking just as anxious and Han and Chewie stood on the other side of Luke. Chewie was unreadable, but Han's whole boy screamed relaxation as they waited for the doors to the throne room to open.

Luke smiled weakly at Jacen, who nodded slightly in return. Having to wait like this was killing him. Jacen tugged at his shirt collar, and then straightened his jacket. He knew that he shouldn't be nervous – he had attended many diplomatic meetings that required far more formality than this – but he couldn't keep from being somewhat restless.

They were to be awarded medals for their heroism in the battle against the Death Star and they were waiting for everyone to assemble in the room beyond the doors.

After they had returned from the battle, Luke had been surrounded by a crowd of people cheering him for making the shot that destroyed the battle station. Han had tried to slip quietly away, but the ecstatic rebels had surrounded him too before leading him in to the center of the mob.

There was a small smile on his face as Jacen remembered his welcome. Though Luke had gotten a fair share of the attention, his remaining squadron mates had congratulated him on destroying the TIE to open the shot for Han, which led to Luke's clear shot of the exhaust port. If it hadn't been for his quick flying, Luke may not have made it to the shaft and they wouldn't be there to celebrate. Or so the pilots said.

For Jacen, his crowning moment was when Leia, a genuine smile on her face, had thrown herself in his arms and given him a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you," she had said.

He wasn't really sure what she meant by that – perhaps thanks for his contribution to the battle – but he was happy for it anyway.

An aide stepped up beside Jacen and nodded to the three men and Wookiee, bringing Jacen out of his thoughts and back to the present.

"It's time," he said and backed away as the doors began to open.

Luke leaned over to Jacen quickly.

"Here we go."

Jacen kept his face toward the opening doors but nodded in agreement. Taking a deep breath, Jacen lifted his head and with his friends beside him walked through the doors and into the throne room.

The entire base was present as the four heroes stepped in to the room. The various squadrons and divisions were placed according to station in the huge room.

Jacen kept his eyes forward as he walked up to the platform where Leia was waiting for them.

She was wearing her senatorial gown and other dignitaries, along with the droids Threepio, Artoo and Arseven stood behind her.

They came to a still a few steps below the princess. She reached over and put a medal over Han's neck first. True to his flirtatious nature, the smuggler gave a mischievous wink to the princess. She smiled slightly in return. Next was Luke, who was eager to receive his award. Leia gracefully placed the medal over his head and on to his neck before moving to Jacen. Jacen, who was used to rituals such as this, bowed his head slightly and gazed past Leia's side as he waited for her to give him the medal. When the weight of the medal had settled on his shoulders, Jacen stood up and couldn't help but grin at the princess. The four of them turned around to face the enormous crowd, who immediately burst in to cheers.

Next to him Luke laughed and Jacen did the same. Chewie growled in excitement and even Han could not suppress a grin as the stress of the day fell away.

Jacen was happy. He and his new friends had helped to deal a severe blow to the Empire and keep the Rebellion safe. It was funny, he thought, how a simple trip to a backwater planet could end in such fanfare and camaraderie.

Luke slapped him on the back and Jacen grinned, returning from his thoughts as he, Luke, Han and Chewie went to join the celebrations.

Later that evening Jacen found himself wandering about the outside of the Massai Temple. The celebrations were still in full swing and would probably last through the early hours of the next morning. Sounds of laughter and happy voices wafted from the open hangars in the temple and softly disappeared into the thick jungle foliage.

Jacen lifted his head and spared a quick glance at the temple. He smiled softly to himself as he watched his new friends enjoy themselves. Part of him wanted to be there with them, celebrating their victory and relaxing after the trials that the day had brought him, but he knew that he couldn't be entirely happy. Not until he finished this.

A slight breeze brushed some blond hair into his face, but Jacen ignored it; the brief respite from the intense heat of the planet was more than welcomed.

He turned away from the temple and walked into the jungle. He had been warned that the jungle was a dangerous place, especially at night, but Jacen didn't care. His purpose was simple enough. It wouldn't take long.

He made his own path as he walked, stepping over thick vines and felled trees as he made his way through the jungle.

The sun had been setting when Jacen first went in to the forest and the density of the foliage made it increasingly difficult to see. He thought that perhaps he should have waited until morning to make this journey, but a tiny, insistent feeling told him that he needed to do this now.

Jacen peered through the darkening jungle and looked left and right. He knew that what he was looking for was nearby; he could feel it.

Some vines obstructed the view in front of him, and upon moving them aside Jacen found what he wanted: the voirrey blossom.

The plant was growing on top of a large rock. Its small, pink blossoms unfolded gently in the moonlight, revealing a bright blue center. It had six leaves located at various intervals on a short green stem. There were several blossoms growing together and the combination caused their roots to splay out across the head of the rock.

Unlike other plants voirrey didn't need soil to take root; any stable surface would do, but the majority of voirrey appeared on cliff walls, boulders or on rocks. This preference for an apparently low-nutrient lifestyle was unexplained by botanists. The plant only bloomed at night under the light of the moon; during the day its folded green outer shell made it look more like a mass of lichen or moss attached to the rock. Its taste was also very sweet, but its difficulty to locate as well as its stunning beauty made any explorer who happened to locate it extremely reluctant to eat the lovely plant.

Voirrey were very rare; the flower was indigenous only to Yavin IV and grew in certain areas on the planet. Jacen was very fortunate that a cluster grew near the temple, or he might have had to search for days for the tiny plant.

He stepped forward and fingered the blossoms lightly before gently selecting three of the flowers. He took the entire flower with him - roots and all - and carefully placed them inside a pouch he was wearing around his waist.

Satisfied with the completion of the first phase of his task, Jacen turned around and began to head back to the temple.

After he had been traveling for a while Jacen emerged from the jungle. Thankfully he had not deviated too far from his original path and came out near the temple.

Shaking himself free of leaves, Jacen walked to the far side of the temple, where there was a small break in the trees. The boy sighed softly to himself then kneeled down on the jungle floor.

Silently he began digging in the loose, rich earth. When he was finished he sat back and looked at the three shallow pits that he had dug. He reached in to his pouch and brought out the voirrey blossoms and carefully planted them in the ground. When the plants were safely in the ground, Jacen stood up and stepped back to look at them.

The flowers were full in the moonlight, giving off a soft pink glow. Jacen smiled. These flowers were for his mother. Voirrey meant 'beloved' and Jacen felt that these blossoms described her perfectly. She loved and was loved desperately, especially by Jacen and his father.

_Nothing can bring her back to me_, Jacen thought. _But my love for her will not die. Like the flowers, my love will grow until I am with my mother again._

His tears fell steadily on top of the flowers as they bloomed in the night.

Jacen stood there silently for some moments until he was able to compose himself. His task was not yet complete.

He raised an unsteady hand to his belt and gently unclipped his father's lightsaber. He briefly turned the weapon over in his hands, and then kneeling once more he carefully placed the saber in the middle of the group of his mother's flowers.

Obi-Wan had been a great man and Jacen had loved his father. He had loved him before he met him; as a child he had imagined all kinds of things about the father he never knew. His joy had superseded his shock when he had finally found Obi-Wan, though he knew him for only a short time. How little time they had actually spent together increased the boy's pain on his father's death. He had lost a teacher, a friend and father at once.

Jacen didn't know much about Jedi or about the Force; his father's ethereal voice during the battle had frightened and confused him, but he was more than willing to learn.

He hadn't wanted to part with his father's lightsaber, but somehow it seemed appropriate.

His father was dead, and with him the ways of the jedi. The strength and conviction to carry on was within him, not an ancient weapon. Obi-Wan had been the flame to light the torch, and now his son was going to spread it.

Jacen tore his gaze from the little memorial to stare at the stars above.

Somewhere out there his destiny was waiting for him to find it.

And when he did, he would be unstoppable.

When he found his destiny, thought Jacen as he turned back to the temple, he would be a jedi.


End file.
